Anniversary of IRA Volunteer Michael Hughes

The 18th October marked the 36th anniversary of Óglach Michael Hughes who was murdered at the entrance to the Derrybeg Estate in defence of his area by the forces of occupation. Although Michael was only 16 years of age when he died he had become a trusted volunteer within that area and indeed throughout Newry.

A wreath was laid on the monument in Main Avenue which stands close to the actual spot where Michael was gunned down.

The Hughes Grant Watters Sinn Féin cumann remembers with pride all those who gave their lives in the fight for Irish Freedom.

Motorist Vigilance Urged

Sinn Féin MLA Mickey Brady has urged Newry motorists to be vigilant while driving following the experience of one Newry family.

The Sinn Féin Assembly Member explained, “I received a phone call, via the Newry Sinn Féin office, from a constituent who explained that his daughter and her family had been involved in an incident in the Ardcarne Park area of Newry on Sunday night.

“This family, consisting of a husband and wife and four small children, were driving along when all of a sudden a missile was hurled from behind a fence. The missile, which they believe to be a large stone or brick, smashed into the windscreen of the car.

“Luckily the windscreen did not shatter and the gentleman driving the car was able to keep it on the road. Obviously this was a very frightening incident for this family, made worse by the fact that the wife is heavily pregnant with the couples 5th child.

“The trajectory of the missile clearly shows that had it penetrated the windscreen it would have collided with the driver of the car. Had this happened I believe it would have been almost impossible for him to retain control of the vehicle. This could have made him collide into oncoming traffic or swerve into the ditch, either way the outcome would not have been good.

Mickey continued by praising this family for coming forward with their story, “We are trying to highlight this in an effort to prevent the same thing happening to other families and also to prick the conscience of those who carried out this completely unprovoked attack.
“The reality is,” Mr Brady concluded, “that we could have been looking at fatalities as a result of this reckless and indiscriminate action. I strongly condemn the people who did this and I do not wish this to happen to any other family on Newry’s

DPP member slams police response

Sinn Féin’s Brendan Curran has hit out at the PSNI response following a vicious attack on a lady in her home in Carnagat.

The lady, who was the victim of a robbery, was also forced to endure a horrific ordeal as she was left abandoned and physically restrained by the thieves.

“This lady went through a terrible and traumatic robbery in her own home,” the Newry Councillor said, “This is the very place where people should feel most safe and secure. However if this nightmare was not bad enough the lack of response to this robbery from the PSNI was totally inadequate and disgraceful.”

“The apprehension of these criminals demanded an immediate and effective response, but instead the police refused to enter the area.

Councillor Curran, also a District Policing Partnership member for Newry said, “We cannot tolerate police ‘no go’ areas in Newry. The people who live in the Carnagat / Derrybeg area are entitled to a full police service which meets their needs as are people in all other areas.

The PSNI suggestion to this family that they make a statement in a Newry carpark is totally unacceptable and I would question whether this is protocol for policing in Newry?

The next day response by the PSNI is not acceptable

Police need to engage in a community wide consultation to identify and remove these barriers to effective policing and I have no doubt that the good people of this community will not be found wanting and will embrace issues of community safety.

Brady – Stop witch hunt of benefit recipients

Sinn Féin MLA for Newry Armagh and spokesperson on welfare, Mickey Brady has said it is high time to end the witch hunt against benefit recipients following announcements of benefit cuts under the welfare reform bill.
Mickey Brady said:
“The ongoing witch hunt against benefit recipients must not go unchallenged. The Tory government right down to sensationalist media programs are painting all those on benefits as spongers, dossers and fraudsters.
“If they were to take an honest and realistic approach to this issue then the facts could clearly be exposed and the myth of benefit fraud would be ended.
“If we take for example people who receive child benefit on income support, income support is reduced by the amount of child benefit received. This is not an additional payment making it extremely difficult for low income families.
“Disability Living Allowance is the least fraudulent benefit with less that 0.01% being fraudulent claims yet constant attention is focused upon this particular benefit.
“The issue of carers is even more scandalous. Carers save the British government £3bn per year by only receiving £53.90 for a 35 hour minimum week. This works out at £1.30 an hour, one quarter of the minimum wage. If carers earn one penny over £95 outside of these payments their benefit is stopped.
“Little focus however is placed on the fact that last year clerical error or mistakes in payments cost £32 million a saving that we should really be striving for instead of punishing the vulnerable.
“The DSD Minister has made much of his contacts with the British secretary for work and pensions, Ian Duncan Smith, whose proposed reforms can only lead to further hardship for those most in need.
“Despite the concerns being spoken off by Alex Attwood, the DSD minister is preparing to migrate 76,000 claimants from incapacity to jobs seekers at a time when there is no jobs with a prolonged recession and job opportunities that are almost none existent. “We already have one of the poorest welfare systems in Europe, a mechanism that is a safety net for those in society who really need it. What we need to see now is a clear and concise argument from the Minister which includes concrete proposals of how he protect the vulnerable and fight these cuts.”