“While it will cause dismay among the Democratic party’s liberal wing…”

The BBC report that the US House of Representatives is preparing to vote on the President Obama sponsored Healthcare Bill, and Richard Adams notes a last-minute compromise on abortion.

As the vote drew closer, attention focussed on on Bart Stupak, the Democrat congressman who authored the controversial “Stupak amendment” on the original House bill that placed onerous conditions barring abortion provision from health insurance subsidised by federal funds. The last-minute deal was lashed together, involving President Obama, in order to win over Stupak and several of his allies.

Stupak held a late afternoon press conference announcing his dramatic change of heart, and pledged that he and several of his anti-abortion conservative Democrat colleagues would support the bill after seeing President Obama’s proposed executive order.

Pete Baker @ 09:29 PM | Comments (3)

“We never before had to deal with a manuscript recovered from a bog”

The Irish Times reports that conservation work on the 1,200-year-old “Faddan More Psalter”, discovered in 2006 by a workman operating a mechanical digger, is almost complete.  The National Museum of Ireland plans to put the eighth century religious manuscript “of staggering importance” on public display next year.  From the Irish Times report

Yesterday, the museum’s director, Dr Pat Wallace said the psalter was so rare and important it now ranks among the top 10 of the tens of thousands of objects in the national collection. It will form the centrepiece of a permanent exhibition in a room of its own expected to open by “early summer 2011” at the museum’s Kildare Street galleries. Dr Wallace said the discovery was “more important for Ireland than the finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls” had been for biblical scholars and has changed our views about how ancient Irish manuscripts were produced. He added: “We never thought anything like this would ever be found.”

Pete Baker @ 02:42 PM | Comments (8)

“Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Church in Ireland…”

Will Crawley provides some background on the “relationship between the Vatican and the international sex abuse crisis.”  Meanwhile, Damian Thompson, who thinks Seán Brady should resign, has the text of Benedict’s pastoral letter to the Catholic Church in Ireland. [Adds See also Brian’s post below]  From the pastoral letter

14. I now wish to propose to you some concrete initiatives to address the situation.

At the conclusion of my meeting with the Irish bishops, I asked that Lent this year be set aside as a time to pray for an outpouring of God’s mercy and the Holy Spirit’s gifts of holiness and strength upon the Church in your country. I now invite all of you to devote your Friday penances, for a period of one year, between now and Easter 2011, to this intention. I ask you to offer up your fasting, your prayer, your reading of Scripture and your works of mercy in order to obtain the grace of healing and renewal for the Church in Ireland. I encourage you to discover anew the sacrament of Reconciliation and to avail yourselves more frequently of the transforming power of its grace.

Pete Baker @ 11:38 AM | Comments (126)

And the conspiracy to murder?

Of the seven people originally arrested in Ireland in connection with an international investigation into a conspiracy to murder Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks, only two have been charged - one man with an immigration offence, another with making a menacing phone call to another Muslim man in the US.  RTÉ reports their appearance in court today.

Abdul-Salam Mansour Al-Jehani, who was arrested on 15 March in Waterford, pleaded guilty this morning. Detective Sergeant Donal Donohue told the court he had arrested Al-Jehani, who is originally from Libya, for not having proper identity documents and charged him under the 2004 Immigration Act. The court heard he previously applied for asylum in the Netherlands under his real name but had been refused and when he came to Ireland in 2001, he applied for asylum under a false name. In October 2008, he was granted leave to remain in Ireland until July 2011.

Pete Baker @ 09:15 PM | Comments (2)

No pope here, nor in Wales

Details have been announced of Emperor Constantine Pope Benedict XVI’s official state visit to the UK Scotland and England. Apparently, it’s got something to do with the way his Empire is administrated…  According to the BBC report - “The theme of the visit will be relations between the Christian Churches and the major faiths.”  But, obviously, not those who “cannot, according to Catholic doctrine, be called ‘Churches’ in the proper sense.” And, according to Scottish Secretary of State, Jim Murphy, MP, “It is the first ever official Papal visit to our country combining state-to-state discussions and related engagements as well as pastoral events being organised by the Catholic bishops’ conferences of England, Wales and Scotland”.

Pete Baker @ 10:29 AM | Comments (8)

To “clarify media reporting…”

Will Crawley resists the temptation of pointing out that Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, speaking in Washington, may be in somewhat of a glasshouse when he suggests that Cardinal Seán Brady “should consider his position” in relation to the Catholic primate’s actions in 1975.  But will the Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams, add his considered thoughts on the matter?  Or will we have to wait until after his therapy?

Pete Baker @ 09:14 PM | Comments (21)

Appeal of judicial review of “smoke filled rooms” appointments rejected

A BBC report notes that the Belfast Court of Appeal has rejected a challenge to an earlier judicial review of OFMDFM’s appointment of four Victims Commissioners.  According to the report

But on Tuesday, the court ruled there was no evidence that the ministers involved were motivated by improper political considerations. Nor that they acted on the grounds of political opinion or religious belief.

That absence of evidence would be because then-First Minister, Ian Paisley Snr, and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness were not subpoenaed about their un-documented and witness-free meetings, in office, about the eventual appointments.  But it doesn’t mean there’s evidence of absence.  Well, it is “a fragile flower which requires careful tending…”

Pete Baker @ 03:57 PM | Comments (14)

“frustration of trying to operate in a commercial manner in a restrictive public sector”

Will the Northern Ireland Regional Development Minister’s sacking of the Chairman and a number of Non-Executive Directors from the Board of NI Water - following the identification of 21 contracts, worth £8.4million, where appropriate governance procedures “had not been followed” - prompt a rethink of the minister’s apparent over-ruling of the independent Utility Regulator’s final determination on NI Water’s Price Control 2010-2013 (PC10)?  Or has he already brought his proposals to the NI Executive?  And despite the ministerial statement, that the report “stated that this was a serious matter for those responsible, namely the NIW Board and Executives responsible for ensuring compliance”, is this an attempt to deflect criticism from the Department itself?  From the internal review report [pdf file]

We note that in May 2008 the DRD Permanent Secretary issued revised governance arrangements which dealt inter-alia with timely delivery of NIW’s Assurance Statements and audit matters and including a request to provide minutes of Audit Committee meeting which we understand is not being complied with to date. It was August 2008 before DRD received copies of NIW’s internal audit reports. Also the NIW’s bi-annual representations on internal control have consistently from July 2008 to date reported only ‘partial compliance’ with the requirement to actively follow up internal and external audit recommendations.

DRD was therefore aware that there was an inherent weakness in NIW’s internal control framework and the matter was raised from time to time at QSM meetings and in correspondence. However, it was only recently agreed that the Chair of NIW’s Audit Committee would have a bi-annual meeting with DRD’s Senior Finance Director and Head of the Shareholder Unit which would review assurance on the work of NIW’s Audit Committee and identify and escalate any issues as necessary. DRD told us that at the February 2010 QSM meeting with NIW an internal audit report tracking all ‘red’ recommendations and the improvements which have been made was tabled for the first time. We were informed by DRD that the issue of NIW’s internal audit reports to the Northern Ireland Audit Office was the subject of correspondence with NIW’s Chair of the Audit Committee.

Pete Baker @ 04:28 PM | Comments (27)

“Nothing shows more clearly the scientific illiteracy that prevails in the House of Commons”

As David Colquhoun’s Improbable Science blog notes, 55 MPs [and counting - Ed] have signed Early Day Motion 908, expressing “concern at the conclusions of the Science and Technology Committee’s Report, Evidence Check on Homeopathy” - previously mentioned here.  Among the signatories of the EDM are the DUP MPs, Peter Robinson, Nigel Dodds, Gregory Campbell, William McCrea, Ian Paisley Snr, and David Simpson…  and the UUP’s the independently minded Lady Hermon. [What?! No Peter Hain? - Ed] Not yet…  As the Guardian’s Ian Sample says

We don’t have the most scientifically literate bunch of MPs in the House today and what a desperately depressing thing that is.

Pete Baker @ 09:52 PM | Comments (38)

“the first time that the judge could direct that such hearings be heard ‘otherwise than in public”’”

Although the seven people arrested in Ireland in connection with an alleged plot to kill Swedish cartoonist, Lars Vilks, had their detention in custody extended earlier this week, RTÉ reports that two of them have now been released from custody.  Meanwhile, an American woman, Colleen R. LaRose, whose possible movements in Ireland in September last year are being investigated, has been “indicted in plot to recruit violent jihadist fighters and to commit murder overseas”.  The Irish Times notes that the case has seen the first use of “section 29 21 of the 2009 Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act”.

The exclusion of the media from the hearings was the first time a new law allowing for the hearing to be in private was invoked in a high-profile case. An application that the hearing into the prolonging of the detention be heard in private was made by An Garda Síochána and the judge granted this application. It was made under section [29 21] of the 2009 Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act, which provides for the extension of the length of time of detention to allow for further investigation.

This section of the Act, passed amidst controversy last year, provided for the first time that the judge could direct that such hearings be heard “otherwise than in public”. It also provides for the exclusion of all except “officers of the court, persons directly concerned in the proceedings, bona fide representatives of the press and such other persons as the court may permit to remain”. The judge can also direct that particular evidence be given in the absence of “every person, including the person to whom the application relates and any legal representative”, if the judge considers the nature of the evidence could prejudice the investigation.

Pete Baker @ 09:19 PM | Comments (1)

Lady Hermon running, or not running?

Has the independently minded MP for North Down, Lady Hermon, finally decided to run as an independent against a joint Conservative and Ulster Unionist candidate in that constituency?  And, if so, is she attempting to force the party to move against her in advance of that?  After all, criticism of Shaun Woodward over that NIO poll is hardly “bewildering”.  But that’s politics…

Pete Baker @ 04:29 PM | Comments (19)

Tohill kidnapper remanded in custody at Belfast Crown Court

Presumably when the BBC report that Henry Joseph [Harry] Fitzsimmons has been remanded in custody at the Belfast Crown Court after being “arrested in Aughnacloy on Thursday”, what they mean is that he’s been transferred from the custody of the Irish authorities.  Right?  He was being held on remand on a European Arrest Warrant.  And, before going on the run in May 2006, he had already pleaded guilty to attempting to kidnap dissenting republican Bobby Tohill on 20th February 2004.  Fitzsimmons is now due to be sentenced next month.  Two of the four men who went on the run at the time were re-arrested and sentenced in February 2007 - Gerard McCrory received seven years in prison and Thomas Tolan was given a six-and-a-half-year term.  Police have still not released a likeness or even a basic description of the fourth wanted man, Liam Rainey, from New Barnsley Crescent, Belfast.

Pete Baker @ 06:31 PM | Comments (1)

“That’s politics. It’s about time we saw more of it.”

Brian may be correct to identify the NI Assembly vote to devolve some policing and justice matters, whilst continuing to reserve others, as a missed “golden opportunity” for the UUP and the SDLP.  But it is not perverse to argue, as Malachi O’Doherty does

There are two ways of looking at politics. Many see the peace process as a greater good which must be served at the expense of all other political considerations. That argument had greater weight when the danger remained high that the IRA leadership would end its ceasefire and start killing and wrecking again to get its way.

But the principle appears to survive in the minds of many, perhaps most, that talking and agreeing must continue because these are good and bring us closer to reconciliation between estranged communities. Many who endorse this way of thinking fail to see the lazy, unpolitical nature of this perspective.

Pete Baker @ 12:46 PM | Comments (6)

“Is Everything We Know About The Universe Wrong?”

As I said at the end of last year - It’s still the experiment most likely to find more than a pair of WIMPy socks.  If they’re really there…  But it might take a little longer than expected.  Belfast-born director of accelerators at Cern, Steve Myers, has told the BBC that the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s highest energy particle accelerator, will only be run at half-maximum power for 18 to 24 months before being switched off for a year to carry out improvements to the 27km tunnel - at which point maximum power collisions will be attempted for the first time.  Although the CERN bulletin doesn’t appear to have heard the news, whilst the Director General portrays it as standard procedure.  And if you missed it last night, you can catch another wondrous Horizon on the iPlayer - “Is Everything We Know About The Universe Wrong?” - on the ‘fixes’ to the standard cosmological model required to match the observable universe.  Including the inflationary hypothesus, ‘dark’ matter, ‘dark’ energy, and, possibly, ‘dark’ flow.

Pete Baker @ 02:27 PM | Comments (10)

“They are still campaigning for a united Ireland, they are not going to get that either”

The NI Equality Commission was highly critical of Derry City Council’s approach to attempting to officially change the name of the city from Londonderry to Derry and, in September 2009, “strongly advise[d] Derry City Council not to proceed with the policy as it is currently proposed”.  That attempt stalled on Monday when the Council failed to agree what its next step should be.  Sinn Féin and the SDLP are blaming each other for that failure - an Irish News report provides the detail.

Members voted on two separate proposals - an SDLP plan to form a working group to discuss the name change and a Sinn Féin motion to petition the Privy Council to change the name. The SDLP proposal was voted down by Sinn Féin and the DUP. The Sinn Féin motion to change the name was defeated by the SDLP and the DUP. Both the SDLP and Sinn Féin accused each other of thwarting any name change.

SDLP councillor Helen Quigley said the Privy Council would have rejected any petition after considering the Equality Commission and Community Relations Council reports. However, Sinn Féin’s Kevin Campbell accused the SDLP of opposing the name change.

Adds I should have mentioned the bid to become the UK City of Culture…

Pete Baker @ 05:39 PM | Comments (18)

Seven arrested in Ireland in investigation into a conspiracy to murder cartoonist Lars Viks

The BBC pick up on an RTÉ report that “Gardaí have arrested five people in Waterford and two others in Cork in connection with an investigation into a conspiracy to murder a Swedish cartoonist”, Lars Vilks.  According to the BBC report all seven arrested are Muslims, while RTÉ adds - “Those in custody are originally from Morocco and Yemen, but it is understood they all have refugee status and are legally in the country.”  From the RTÉ report

A garda spokesman said the operation was part of an investigation into a conspiracy to murder an individual in another jurisdiction. Members of the Garda National Support Services and the Special Detective Unit were also involved in this morning’s operation. Gardaí say they are working closely with police forces in a number of other European countries and in the US. The seven people arrested this morning range in age from their mid-20s to their late-40s.

Update from today’s Irish Times

Detectives in Ireland have been working on the case since late last year with their counterparts in the US and Europe, including Sweden. Those arrested yesterday are from Algeria, Croatia, Palestine, Libya and the US. They are aged in their mid-20s to late-40s. The Irish Times understands the suspects were taken into custody on the basis of information supplied to the Garda by the FBI that came to light after surveillance of the suspects’ communications, including e-mails.

Pete Baker @ 03:27 PM | Comments (9)

Such a parcel of rogues…

We’ve now had former US President George Bush Jnr [reportedly at the instigation of US economic envoy to Northern Ireland, Declan Kelly], and Ian Paisley Snr join in the campaign by, amongst others, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness and the NIO and NI Secretary of State Shaun Woodward, to try to pressurise the UUP into toe-ing the DUP/SF party line on tomorrow’s vote on devolving policing and justice powers.  Nice to see old comrades working together again…  To, apparently, little effect…

The Ulster Unionist executive has endorsed the party’s decision to vote against the devolution of policing and justice powers to Northern Ireland.

Pete Baker @ 09:38 PM | Comments (53)

More statistics…

Is the Northern Ireland First and deputy First Ministers’ commissioned poll [At what cost? - Ed] any more rigorous than the NIO’s?  Who knows?  The questions certainly don’t appear to be.  As spotted by “thedissenter” in the comments zone here, the polling company chosen, Red Circle Communications, was set up in 2007 by former head of communications for the Scottish Labour Party, Steven Lawther.  The polling report, dated 4th March, is here [pdf file].  BBC NI political editor Mark Devenport finds something of value in it.

That said there is some interesting stuff in the OFMDFM survey about people’s desire for the First and Deputy First to work together, and the gap between this aspiration and how well people think the Executive is doing its job. Additionally less than half those interviewed felt well informed about what the Executive is doing (maybe that’s my fault!)

Heh.

Pete Baker @ 06:35 PM | Comments (10)

“directing British policy and directing the occupation of Ireland”.

Ahead of tomorrow’s vote in the Northern Ireland Assembly on devolving policing and justice powers, The Guardian’s Henry McDonald has been speaking to the vice-president of Republican Sinn Féin, Geraldine Taylor, at the party’s Falls Road headquarters.  From The Guardian report

But Geraldine Taylor, the veteran west Belfast republican and vice-president of RSF, said whoever got elected to the post would be “directing British policy and directing the occupation of Ireland”.

At the party’s Falls Road headquarters, flanked by a number of young republicans from the North Armagh area where the CIRA has a growing base, Taylor said a new justice minister would be “part and parcel of the British crown”.

Asked how the new minister would be regarded by what she called the “Republican Movement” (the umbrella term encompassing RSF and CIRA), Taylor replied: “They would be an enemy of the Irish people in just the same way as a British soldier or police officer serving in the PSNI/RUC.”

Pete Baker @ 03:28 PM | Comments (28)

“This poll shows that overwhelming community confidence has been firmly established..”

As Brian has mentioned, the NIO, and Northern Ireland Secretary of State Shaun Woodward, have weighed in to the campaign against the UUP with another of their famous surveys.  But is it 75%? 73%? Or, as the BBC reports, 68% in favour?  And was there a timescale involved for that support?  And is it the case that “In terms of overall support for the agreement to transfer policing and justice powers to the Executive at Stormont, 67% were in support and 13% opposed.” I could point out that their last published survey indicated 74% in favour of that transfer at some time.  Not that we can compare the findings to any of their previous offerings propaganda because, to date, there’s even fewer details on this poll than any of the others.  Where, for example, are the figures for the other parties?  Will we see the figures for those who indicated their support for the DUP?  Wouldn’t it be interesting to see how many of those surveyed indicated support for the TUV?  Was anyone asked?  A margin of error would be nice, Shaun… Adds See also the post on the OFMDFM poll.

Pete Baker @ 10:25 AM | Comments (36)

“the current Executive must be capable of exercising its existing powers…”

In Scotland and in Wales the people are to be asked directly before any more power is gifted to local politicians.  Here, the two main parties in the mandatory four party coalition go into a huddle behind closed doors and produce a less than transparent “agreement”.  Then those same two parties engage in a campaign against anyone expressing doubts based on the actual performance of the dysfunctional Northern Ireland Executive to date.  Then there’s the reported interest of unnamed US congressmen [Adds now named as the usual suspects congressmen Peter King, Richard Neal, Joseph Crowley and Tim Murphy].  Not that the other parties in the NI Executive can actually vote down any proposal supported by those two parties - and in a cross community vote the Alliance Party’s votes still don’t count.  And, after thanking the US Secretary of State for her kind phone call, the UUP leader Reg Empey issued a statement.  As reported here

Empey said he appreciated the call from Mrs Clinton, but stressed that his party still intended to vote ’no’ on the proposal to transfer law and order responsibilities from London to Belfast in April. “She (Mrs Clinton) has always taken a very keen interest in Northern Ireland and I thanked her for the call,” he said. “She’s obviously very anxious to see a successful resolution but I explained the situation we faced. She was very pleasant and helpful and I think she understands our view that we should have been more involved (in the Hillsborough talks).” Empey said “nothing substantive” had developed over the weekend to address any of his party’s concerns over the wide-ranging agreement on justice devolution and parades that was hammered out after 10 days of round-the-clock talks between Sinn Féin and the DUP at Hillsborough Castle, Co Down last month.

Perhaps this situation is also considered to be “good enough”... Adds We know why it’s “good enough” for one of those party. [*Cuckoo* *Cuckoo* - Ed] Now, we’ve put that US ‘imperialism’ behind us…

Pete Baker @ 10:37 PM | Comments (1)

“There is no doubt in my mind that the DUP and Sinn Fein have the numbers to pass this resolution”

According to the BBC’s report, and the UTV one, Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness has said that the UUP have “three days to sort themselves out” over the issue of policing and justice [and OFMDFM’s less than transparent approach on other issues? - Ed].  An “ultimatum”, no less.  Or else what, Martin?  Who, exactly, is “threatening the political institutions” over this issue?  And what would your collapsing of your best only evidence of Sinn Fein’s “ability to deliver” tell the electorate in Ireland? After all, Sinn Féin and the DUP can carry the vote on Tuesday, alone.

Pete Baker @ 10:20 PM | Comments (28)

“Yes, I read about them in the papers”.

As an iol report noted this morning, the European Arrest Warrant for Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams’ brother Liam was endorsed by Dublin’s High Court yesterday.  RTÉ reports that at 2.10 this afternoon Liam Adams arrived at Bridewell Garda Station by appointment with his solicitor.  He was arrested and escorted to the High Court where he “told the court that he did not want to go back to Northern Ireland because he believed he would not get a fair trial there.”  He has been released on bail of 15,000 euros and is due to appear before a criminal court in Dublin next Wednesday.  And according to the Guardian report

The Guardian has learned that Liam Adams’s legal team will argue that their client has a right to have the case against heard in the Irish Republic, where they will contend he will get a fairer trial than in Northern Ireland.

Pete Baker @ 06:26 PM | Comments (43)

“Saville is pointless (so is any question on it)”

Someone has mischievously leaked an email from the putative Northern Ireland Justice Minister David Ford to the Liberal Democrats dating from last November.  The BBC report highlights the relevant line

In the email leaked to the BBC, entitled ‘Northern Ireland Questions’, Mr Ford states “Saville is pointless”, adding in brackets and “so is any question on it”.

Adds In the comments zone, [Alliance Party member] “Sammy Morse” points to an earlier reference to the email by Mark Devenport - although Saville doesn’t get a mention.

Pete Baker @ 08:44 PM | Comments (161)

“Sure, he’d always be buying tickets to draws and stuff like that…”

Notorious gambler, and former Taoiseach, Bertie ‘Lucky’ Ahern, has apparently scooped the rollover jackpot of €10,000 in a draw for a soccer club at the Beaumont House pub in his northside constituency - the scene of two of his previous “whip-rounds”.  Over to the Irish Times’ Miriam Lord

All those millions of raffle tickets he purchased down through the bubble years are worthless now. If it wasn’t for his pension and TD’s salary and various other bits and bobs rolling in, the man would be as penniless as he was during those minister for finance years. But do they care in Leinster House? They do not.

The man himself wasn’t around yesterday. No sign of him in the chamber, so we don’t know if he joined his fellow deputies and Senators in clocking into work for the first time in Irish political history. Perhaps the Bert was back in his office, trying to work out whether he should put his winnings into the bank or into a biscuit tin. Bertie didn’t have a lot of faith in the banks when he was officially on his uppers back in the 1990s and unofficially awash with money.

Pete Baker @ 10:52 AM | Comments (6)