Tag: Christmas

Stormontgate food waste ‘scandalous’ !!!

’66 tonnes thrown out in three years’.

2010 (Sept-Dec) 11,800kg

2011         24,476kg

2012         18,497kg

2013(Jan-Sept)    11,912kg

Total =                   66,685kg

 STORMONT is throwing away more than a tonnes of unused food every month. The assembly has thrown out over 66 tonnes of uneaten food over the past three years, figures obtained by The Irish News can reveal.

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The huge amount of unused food (payed for at the taxpayers expence) is the equivalent of more than 16 full-grown African elephants or 148 polar bears. In some years the assembly produced more than three tonnes of waste in a single month. The alarming figures come as the executive continues to urge householders through environmental campaigns to stop wasting food. Leader of the Green Party in the North of Ireland Steven Agnew described the level of food waste as “scandalous”. The North Down MLA for the assembly to tackle the problem in 2014 by introducing new legislation encouraging unused food donations. “It is scandalous that at a time when so many food banks are opening because people cannot afford food, so much edible surplus food is simply being thrown away at the seat of local government,” he said. “The public are not only paying for that food to be bought, cooked and served but they are also paying for the costs of its disposal and I am very concerned that with the amount of food wasted, ttaxpayers money is not being spent wisely.” Not to mention also the public are paying the wages of the government MLA’s that are wasting the food.

Stormont was provided with more than £165,000 worth of food during 2013, according to figures obtained by The Irish News Through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. It started recording its food waste in August 2010, with an average of 1,750kg of uneaten food being disposed of by parliament buildings and the wider Stormont Estate on average since then. In a FOI rresponds the assembly said its current waste management contractor was “not commissioned to recycle food waste” but was “committed to do so”. However, it said commercially produced food waste is recycled. Earlier this year The Irish News revealed hungry MLAs have munched their way through more than £180,000 worth of refreshments at assembly committee meetings over the past six years.

Stormonts committee meetings are supplied with trays of tasty snacks, from tea and coffee to sandwiches and variates of biscuits. In October Tesco sparked a food waste debate after the supermarket giant revealed it had thrown away 28,500 tonnes of food in the first six months of 2013. Mr Agnew said food waste was a major environmental problem which if tackled would be the equivalent of taking one in four cars off the road. “While there has been a reduction in the level of food wasted at the assembly over the last couple of years, the fact that so much food is still being thrown away certainly doesn’t set a good example or leave a good impression with the public,” he said. “We need a similar law to the Good Samaritan Food Donation Act in place in the USA to enable organisations to donate excess food without the threat of liability.” A spokesman for the assembly said: “The assembly endeavours to ensure that food waste from all its outlets is minimised.”

With many thanks to: Brendan Hughes, The Irish News.

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Shame Fein unaware of who damaged City Hall toilets

Toiletgate who done it?

SHAME Fein has said it does not know who was responsible for causing damage to a urinal during a Christmas party at Belfast City Hall.

Toiletgate was it councillor Jim McVeigh or MLA Gerry (the mouth) Kelly? – Answers on a postcard please…..
Gerry (the mouthpeice) Kelly shows off his new gift from the lads at Belfast City Hall party

The party was responding after it was urged to provide a “full and frank public explanation” for the damage which was caused during a festive (knees up) function on December 20. DUP group leader Lee Reynolds said a urinal was pulled off a wall along with metal water pipes after a “confrontation” “spilled out” from Shame Fein’s “party room into the nearby men’s toilets“. The DUP man called for a “full investigation by council officials and the PSNI/RUC to ascertain what occurred and who was responsible”. Shame Fein councillor Jim McVeigh said “the celebration was enjoyed by all who attended”. “We do not know who was responsible for any damage or whether it was malicious or accidental,” he said. “Contrary to mischievous reports the toilets were not ‘smashed.’ “We will be only to happy to cooperate with any council investigation into the damage caused.” A spokesman for Belfast City Council said all enquires were being referred to Shame Fein. A spokesman for the PSNI/RUC said: “The incident has not been reported to police.”

https://www.facebook.com/Seachranaidhe/posts/572572382822540

With many thanks toto: Connla Young, The Irish News.

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I’M ALREADY LOW ON NEW YEAR OPTIMISM

“Seen this in The Sunday (lies) World and had to repost”.

IN A couple of days we’ll be taking down the decosions, locking up the 12-year-old Scotch malt that’s only brought out at Christmas and contemplating another year!!!

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The New Year is traditionally a time for optimism, sadly down the years ours has been wasted and without wishing to be a seasonal grump I’m not sure how long our optimism can take it. We’re getting used to being let down, but you have to hope don’t you? Things have to change eventually so why not in 2014. First thing that needs to change is the Chief Constable. Matt (maggot) Baggott has an unenviable task as head of the PSNI/RUC but he has shown he is simply not up to the job, whether its because of political pressure, his failure to handle the UVF has been spectacular. He was ill advised to have attended the PUP conference as the keynote speaker last year but he clearly can’t learn from his mistakes. With the UVF orchestrating night after night of street violence as the fleg protests swung into action the PSNI’s/RUC softly softly approach simply handed control of the streets to the terror group. His officers were expected to stand on the front line and take a battering – night after night – and when the PSNI/RUC did a deal allowing the UVF to police their own parades it was confirmation that the lunatics really had taken over the asylum. And if that wasn’t bad enough he insisted the UVF’s ceasefire remains intact, despite more than 30 murders since they claimed they put their guns beyond use and more recently the attemped murder of Jemma McGrath in East Belfast.

Excuse

293290_171098439636605_1085904647_nIn the wider context we need the Orange Order to wise up. The outside world looks in and wonders what these strange wee men in bowler hats and collarettes are all about. Their intolerance and open hatred of all things Catholic is hard for anyone to grasp. And accommodating tolerant Orange Order would, in one fell swoop, disarm all those who want to see it condemned to the history books. The Order gives bigots an excuse, take it away and they fall. On the other side of the house the Shinners must be hoping that Gerry Adams‘ (pedo protector) closet isn’t any bigger. With the number of skeletons already out it resembles the Tardis! The Shame Fein president has been left damaged by his continued denial of IRA membership, allegations of involvement in the abduction and murder of Jean McConville refuse to go away and his handling of sex abuse claims levelled against his brother further wrecked his creditability. He is fast becoming a leader in name only – people simply don’t trust him anymore. Maybe 2014 will be a time the Shinners started looking for a new star. It’s not asking much but if we manage to secure these changes and the North of Ireland manage to win the match 2014 mightn’t be too bad.

With many thanks to: Richard Sullivan, The Sunday World.

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Man who refused bail over tag allowed home for Christmas

A DERRY man who turned down bail because it meant he would be electronically tagged has been granted compassionate bail for Christmas – without a tag.

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Belfast Recorder Judge David McFarland told 44-year-old Anthony Michael Taylor, who is accused of having a rifle linked to dissident republicans, would not have to wear the tag because he would only be on bail from Christmas Eve until St Stephen‘s Day. However, the Crown Court judge said all other condititions of his origional full bail would remain. They include the lodgement of £50,000 to the court; that he resides at Farmhill, Derry; reports daily to the police and observes an 8pm curfew each evening. Taylor, a member of Repulican Netwok for Unity (RNU), is accused possessing a semi-automatic rifle with intent to endanger life and under suspicious circumstances on August 2, 2011. It was alleged at an earlier hearing that he could be linked to the car in which the rifle was later found. A prosecution lawyer said that Taylor had been granted full bail but had failed to perfect it because it would involve wearing the tag, which was “a real issue for the accused…. a matter of principal”. The lawyer added hat given his family circumstances, the prosecution were not unsympathetic to his situation in wanting bail over the holiday period. Eugene Grant QC, defending, said while Taylor did not take his full bail, all he wanted now was the opportunity to spend a few days with his family over Christmas. Mr Grant said one way of dealing with any fear of him absconding over the three days was for the police to call on him, if necessary.

With many thanks to: The Irish News.

Top dissident republicans taken off the streets

British Internment alive and ongoing in the 32 Counties of Ireland !!!

THREE of the North’s most senior dissident republicans have been taken off the streets after a second Belfast city centre attack. With a manhunt under way on both sides of the border for a firebomber injured by his own device, the three dissident chiefs were charged on Tuesday with an array of serious offences.

Colin Duffy, Alec McCrory and Harry Fitzsimmons all have a history of republican activism dating back to the Provisional IRA. Dissident republicans have been particularly active in the run-up to Christmas with shots fired at police in North and West Belfast, a bomb left in an entertainment area of the city on one of the busiest nights of the year and an attempt on Monday to firebomb a city centre shop. The trio, in their forties and fifties, were arrested on Sunday, 48 hours after a bomb exploded in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter while it was packed with Christmas parties. Duffy is accused of IRA membership and plotting to murder security-force members. McCrory and Fitzimmons are charged with attempting to murder police officers travelling on Crumlin Road in North Belfast on December 5. All three are also charged with conspiracy to possess firearms and explosives with intent to endanger life and belonging to a proscribed organisation. McCrory and Fitzisimmons face further charges of aiding and abetting the possession of a firearm. The alleged offences cover a period between January 1 and December 16 this year.

Amid heavy security at Belfast Magistrates Court, supporters of the three accused packed the public gallery on Tuesday. At one stage the defendents declined to stand up as some of the charges were put to them. A detective said he could connect them to the charges and no applications for bail were made during the short hearing. The trio waved at friends who clapped as they were remanded in custody to appear again by videolink in four weeks’ time. Meanwhile, two arrests were made outside the court complex as tensions heightened briefly. There were minor scuffles amid a heavy police presence at the Oxford Street exit as supporters of Duffy, McCrory and Fitzimmions left the building. North Belfast men Daniel Lundy and Aidan Fergusion, both from Ardoyne, were arrested and taken to Musgrave Police Station and charged with assaulting police, disorderly behaviour and resisting police. They were released on bail to appear before Belfast Magistrates Court on January 13.

With many thanks to: The Irish News.

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POLICE XMAS PARTY FLEE BOMB

Senior officers were targets of ONH device

THE rebel IRA were trying to murder cops with a fireball bomb carried into Belfast city centre on Friday night. The sports bag bomb, packed with inflammable material according to police on Saturday, was abandoned short of its target, according to our sources.

Oglaigh na Heireann – ONH

Sources in Belfast’s Ardoyne, where the incendiary device originated, say the bomb, which partially exploded, was meant to mimic the IRA fire bomb attack on the La Mon House Hotel in February 1978 which murdered 12 people. The Sunday World learned on Saturday that a posse of top police officers – up to a dozen strong, were out for their Christmas ‘do’ just 100 metres from where the lethal firebomb in a Slazenger sports bag was left.

Revellers

One source said: “They got an emergency call just minutes before a squad of police rushed in to evacuate the whole of the St Anne’s Square pub/restaurant area in the heart of Cathedral Quarter, packed with pre-Christmas party revellers. “They immediately left the premises. But they were the targets. The dissident bombers knew who they were, and where they were.” In fact, the explosive sports bag was abandoned just 100 metres from where the police officers were sitting down for a meal and a drink. On Saturday, the PSNI staged a hastily convened press conference where it was stated that the bomb which partially exploded could have killed anyone nearby. Dissident republican group, Oglaigh na hEireann, later said they were responsible. Police said the explosion at Exchange Street West at about a quarter to seven on Friday night could have caused multiple deaths. The bomb went off as the area was being cleared. No-one was injured in the attack. Police said the bomb was fully functional and consisted of explosives and flammable liquid. It was in a sports bag and was left on a street about 150 metres away from the spot identified in a warning call made to a newspaper office. That was also just round the corner from where the off-duty police officers were having their Christmas party.

Even when they evacuated the restaurant they were in, they would have walked straight into the abandoned bomb. About 1,000 people were affected by the alert in Cathedral Quarter, which is one of the main entertainment venues in Belfast. On Saturday First Minister Peter Robinson said this was an “attack on democracy”. “We are witnessing the work of a mindless minority who are intent on taking the heart out of the city and wreaking havoc on the lives and businesses of the people of Belfast and Northern Ireland,” he said. Deputy First Minister (J116) Martin McGuinness (The Fisherman) said the bombers showed “a complete disregard for life”. “Their actions have done nothing to move our society forward but, instead, have caused distress to local residents, disruption to Christmas revellers and loss of revenue for surrounding businesses,” he said. At Saturday’s Press conference at the PSNI’s Brooklyn HQ in Belfast, Detective Chief Inspector Justyn Galloway said: “This device was fully functional. It could have injured or killed members of the public and it has similarities to previous devices used by dissident republicans. “I would like to make a direct appeal to people who were in the area on Friday night and ask them did they see a male wearing a black hoidie carrying a black Slazenger bag in and around 6pm. “If they saw this person or anybody acting suspiciously I would appeal to them to come forward to detectives. “We are working very hard to keep Belfast safe and we will continue to do that but we need the community to be vigilant. We want them to go about their normal businness and support the premises in the town but be vigilant and if they see anything suspicious in the town don’t hesitate to lift the phone and tell us.” On Saturday and Saturday night it was ‘business as usual’ in Cathedral Quarter.

Support

Dermot and Catherine Regan, owners of the Potted Hen restaurant close to the scene of the eexplosion said they were grateful for public support. “Thankfully no one was injured and there was no physical damage to the area. We are back to normal service from lunchtime on Sunday and will be contacting everyone who had booked for last night and whose evening entertainment was ruined,” they said. And Storming Shame Fein Sports and Culture Minister Caral Ni Chilin certainly voted with her feet. She visited the Cathedral Quarter in an unofficial capacity on Saturday evening, had a drink in a bar there, and when asked if she was giving a vote of confidence to the area after the Friday night bomb fright, said: “That’s why I’m here.”

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CONTROVERSIAL LOYALIST MARCHES POSTPONED

‘My problem was never with the traders. We never set out to target trade – Jamie Bryson.

TWO controversial loyalist parade planned to take place in Belfast and Bangor in the run-up to Christmas have been postponed until the New Year.

SHARED SPACE - LOYALIST SPACE - REPUBLICAN SPACE

Sandy Row Orange Lodge announced last night that it had taken a decision to postpone a parade through Belfast city centre this Saturday. In a statement, it said the decision was taken “after listening to city centre traders and the local community; and in light of the heightened level of security due to Republican terrorism”. It said it beleived a further parade “at this time through the city centre would not be in the interests of our fellow citizens and therefore as an act of goodwill in this Christmas season we have decided to postpone the parade until early in the New Year”. “The Parades Commission again sought to criminalise Unionists by their determinaton; however, we will not fall into their trap. When we next notify to parade the current Commission will thankfully be gone,” it said. “The support for our Ligoniel brethren remains resolute and indeed we would continue to encourage our members and friends to support the ongoing protest and parades at Camp Twaddell and the Woodvale Road.”

Meanwhile, a loyalist parade planned for Bangor on December 21 has also been postponed until the new year after traders met with organisers. Last month prominent flag prostester Jamie Bryson, revealed plans to bring 2,500 people and 14 bands through the seaside town on the last Saturday before Christmas and one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Oganised by the North Down Ards branch of the Ulster People’s Forum (UPF), the parade was intended to highlight complaints against the PSNI by loyalists and protest at the decision by Belfast City Council to restrict the flying of the Union Flag at City Hall a year ago. The Bangor parade was called off after talks beween local traders and organisers last week during which local business people voiced their fears that trade would be hit “during such a sensitive and fragile trading period”. President of Bangor Chamber of Commerce, Ken Sharp, said had the parade gone ahead the impact would have been “immeasurable”. “The chamber beleives in engaging with as many parts of the wider Bangor community as possible to work togeather for the improvement of Bangor through investment, trade and jobs.” Flag protester Jamie Bryson said the disputed parade will take place early in the new year. “My problem was never with the traders. We never set out to target trade,” he said.

With many thanks to: Connla Young and Marie Louise McCrory, The Irish News.

JUSTICE FOR MARTIN COREY NO JUSTICE NO PEACE!!

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Please let Martin know you care and are in full support of him and send him a letter, card, Christmas card or quick message…

See below details of the aaddress to send:

Martin Corey Maghaberry Prison, Old Road, Ballinderry upper, Lisburn, Co An trim BT28 2PT

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Haass proposals doomed to failure

The reason the British handed over responsibilty to Haass for the contentious matters is that there is no answer to the questions which unionists will accept

THREE weeks to go to Richard Haass‘s self-imposed deadline of Christmas. Unless, of course, it’s a misunderstanding and he’s talking about a different Christmas. Do you give him any chance of coming up with agreed proposals on flags, parades and the past? No? Nor does anyone else.

Fly the Irish Tricolour from Belfast City Hall

There are several worrying consequences about the current process some of which have already been looked at here. First, even if Haass were miraculously to pull even one rabbit out of his hat, legislation would be required. To further complicate it, the matter’s he’s concerned with all involve UK legislation at least. In the case of deaths and injuries during the Troubles the Irish government would have to be involved too. With the unionist parties already jostling each other about European election candidates, will they support the necessary legislation during the election campaign? No. As the British coalition government sees the election scheduled for May 7 2015 rushing ever closer the DUP will become more important. The treacherous lily-livered Lib-Dems will finally start to break away and oppose some Conservative legislation, particularly on economic and EU matters. Together with the Labour party they might defeat the Conservatives on some issues.

This is where the eight DUP MPs come in. Last week they were able to help the Conservatives defeat a backwoods Tory rebellion on plans to recruit reservists to replace full-time soldiers in return for raising the cap on numbers of recruits from the north. Watch the DUP come to David Cameron‘s rescue in 2014-5 if he dangles a bauble in frount of them. Even if Haass came up with something the parties at Stormont agree on, don’t expect it to go through Westminster unscathed. However, don’t hold your breath. The reason the British handed over responsibility to Haass for the contentious matters is that there is no answer to the questions which unionists will accept. It’s perfectly obvious that on the flags issue unionist leaders are too weak, cowardly and hypocritical to support a rational solution to flags on public buildings. They took r Fleg!!! Their hypocrisy stares them in the face every day at Stormont. As for anything vertical in unionist districts, there is no solution. It would be a cat and mouse operation with the police running around after loyalist squads replacing flags the police removed. Unionists do not accept the concept of a neutral space. They want to own Norn Irn. After all, didn’t the British give it them? Now they’re asking them to share it with Fenians on an equal footing. Hah.

There are wider consequences. Past experience has shown that only Westminister-legislated change will bring unionists to heel whether it was the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement or the 1998 Public Processions Act. This time there’ll be no Westminster legislation because Cameron might need the DUP in the short term. It’s not the first time a British government has bolstered unionist intransigence and it won’t be the last. It dosn’t matter what colour the government is; it depends on the proconsul for the time being. Peter Hain had little to recommend him but at least his threats of joint rule with Dublin or carving Norn Irn into three sub-regions concentrated unionst minds. This present government’s detachment and the rudderless performance of the present proconsul is sending republicans a dangerous message that unionists have a veto on all change, that Stormont as presently constituted does not function as a vehicle for change. The establishment of Haass as arbiter is not only evidence of British (and Irish) disengagement but is proof that by default they encourage unionist intransigence.The plain fact is that if unionists don’t like what Haass proposes they will be allowed to reject it and Sinn Fein can do nothing about it. Haass is there only because of the failure of the two governments to confront unionist resistance to change and their continual refusal to live on equal terms with the rest of the people on this island by recognising the legitimacy of the symbols and Irish identity of those in the north. The appointment of Haass is further evidence of Sinn Fein’s inadequacy as negotiators and their failure to see the big picture. The DUP is running rings aroud them.

With many thanks to: Brian Feeney, The Irish News.

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Parade organiser named

Organiser of weekend parade named

This is the man who organised a loyalist protest parade through central Belfast on one of the busiest shopping days before Christmas.

pictured: John ‘Dougie‘ Lanigan.
Photographs openly displayed on Lanigan’s networking site
Photographs openly displayed on his social networking site
John ‘Dougie’ Lanigan sporting a pair of glassses

Politicians from all sides called for the march to be banned or moved to another day. They and business leaders said the organisers’ identities should be made public so that they could be challenged. Police and the Parades Commission refused to publish the names for “data protection” reasons. Yesterday The Irish News revealed that the organiser whose identity has been concealed for weeks was John ‘Dougie’ Lanigan, pictued above. He is orginally from Belfast but is believed to live with his wife in Antrim. Two police officers were injured after the parade and the protest breached a commission ruling by failing to leave the city centre by 12.30pm. The march, which marked almost a year since councillors voted to restrict flying the Union Flag from the city hall, was organised under the name of Loyal Peaceful Protesters. The parade application estimated that up to 10,000 loyalists and 40 bands would join the demonstration but in the end just over 1,000 people and two bands materialised at the city hall on Saturday. The Sash was also played as the parade passed the nationalist Carrick Hill area of North Belfast. Friends took to social networking sites to congratulate Mr Lanigan for the protest, descibing him as “a true loyalist”. It is understood he was asked to hand himself in to police on Monday over a breach of a commission ruling. When asked by The Irish News on Monday night about his role, he said: “We have nothing to say to any of the papers.” Police  said officers interviewed a “49-year-old man in connection with a breach of a Parades Commission determination on Saturay November 30 2013 in Belfast city centre“. The man voluntarily attended a Belfast police station on Monday afternoon. He was later released pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service. In September, the same loyalist organisation held another unlawful parade through the city centre towards the Shankill area. More than 3,000 protesters joined the Saturday afternoon demonstration, which breached a Parades Commission determination by setting off from city hall an hour later than planned. Politicians including Shame Fein’s Gerry Kelly, Alban Maginness of the SDLP and Glyn Roberts of the Nothern Ireland Independant Retail Trade Association (NIIRTA) had previously called for the organisers of Saturday’s parade to be named. Mr Maginness said there needed to be more accountabilty from those organising parades. “If there is not a duty on those who have made the application to disclose their identity there ought to be in the interests of scrutiny,” the North Belfast MLA said ahead  of Saturday’s protest. “It’s reasonable for those who are organising to identify themselves or be identified.

With many thanks to: Brendan Hughes, The Irish News.

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