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December 15, 2004

12/15/04 - SF Raises Colombia 3 With EU

Monthly Table of Contents 12/04

SF 12/15/04 McDonald Raises Colombia 3 Case With EU Commission
IT 12/16/04 Hill of Tara: Committee To View Motorway Route –V
SM 12/16/04 Premiers Renew Search For Elusive Ulster Deal –V(2)
PI 12/15/04 We Must Not Lose Sight Of Tremendous Progress – SF
SF 12/15/04 Paisley Agenda On Arms Absurd
BB 12/15/04 Paisley Arms Claims Rejected
UT 12/15/04 Sinn Fein Renew Paisley Appeal
BB 12/15/04 'Arms Photo Reasonable': Ahern
IT 12/16/04 McDowell Accuses IRA Of Campaign Of Criminality
IT 12/16/04 Only 10,000 Full-Time Farmers In A Decade, Says Report
BT 12/15/04 Sinn Fein Begins Its Postal Service

RT 12/15/04 McAleese Visits Irish Peacekeepers In Liberia –VO
RT 12/15/04 Details Of Kinsale Project Unveiled –VO
NW 12/15/04 Funding Boost For Shannon Region Tourist Projects
----

McAleese Visits Irish Peacekeepers In Liberia - Joe O'Brien,
Defence Correspondent, reports on the Irish President's visit to
Liberia
http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1215/9news/9news56_12a.smil

Details Of Kinsale Project Unveiled - Paschal Sheehy, Southern
Editor, examines development plans for Kinsale in Co Cork
http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1215/6news/6news56_8a.smil

Funding Boost For Shannon Region Tourist Projects - Teresa Mannion
checks out some of the projects benefiting from an investment
programme by Shannon Development
http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1215/nationwide/nationwide56_3a.smil

******************************************

http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/7884

Mary Lou McDonald Raises Colombia 3 Case With European Commission

Published: 15 December, 2004

Sinn Féin MEP for Dublin Mary Lou McDonald has raised the issue of
three Irishmen in Colombia - Niall Connolly, Martin McAuley and
James Monaghan - at a European Parliament session.

In a question to the European Commission Ms McDonald asked: What
does the EU Commission think about the breaches of these EU
citizens' rights? and what is the EU Commission doing to vindicate
the rights of these three EU citizens?.

Speaking this morning Ms McDonald said:

"Yesterday evening I raised the issue of the three Irishmen and EU
citizens in Colombia, Niall Connolly, Martin McAuley and James
Monaghan with the European Commission.

"These men have been detained in various Colombian jails from
August 2001 to April 2004. During that time their rights were
systematically denied and their lives in constant danger. President
Uribe, the head of the armed forces and the Attorney General made
prejudicial comments during their detention.

"In April 2004 Judge Acosta found the three EU citizens innocent of
charges of training the FARC. The men have been denied the right to
leave the country because the Attorney General, Luis Camilo Osario
-whose poor human rights record has been documented by
international human rights organisations- has appealed the
decision. This is a flagrant violation of the rights of these EU
citizens.

"In light of this information, I challenged the European Commission
to comment upon their view of the human breaches of three EU
citizens. I have also asked the Commission what they are doing to
vindicate the rights of the three men."ENDS

******************************************

Proposed M3 route through Tara to be inspected - Richard Dowling,
North-East Correspondent, looks at the background to the
construction of the M3 motorway
http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1215/9news/9news56_9a.smil
----

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2004/1216/2001781036HM9TARA.html

Committee To View Motorway Route -V

Liam Reid

The Oireachtas Committee on the Environment is to visit the Hill
of Tara and surrounding area today as part of its inquiry into the
controversial route of the proposed M3 motorway.

Members of the committee are to visit five sites close to, or on,
the proposed route, and will be briefed by staff from the National
Roads Authority (NRA) and Meath County Council about the route and
archaeological sites found alongside it.

They will also meet Prof George Eogan, a leading expert on
Neolithic and bronze age settlements, and an authority on the
archaeological remains of sites in Co Meath.

The Minister for the Environment, Mr Roche, is due to make a
decision after Christmas on whether to give licences allowing for
the recording and partial destruction of an estimated 40-plus
archaeological sites along the route through the Tara/Skryne valley
to allow the road to be built. If he refuses the licences, the NRA
will have to identify another route.

The committee is examining the significance of the archaeology,
with a view to providing advice to Mr Roche.

However, its chairman, Mr Seán Haughey, has already said plans to
route the M3 motorway through the Tara/Skryne valley was "bordering
on vandalism" against one of Ireland's most important historic
sites.

The Fianna Fáil member is the first Government TD to state his
opposition to the proposed route, and to back a group of
environmentalists and archaeologists campaigning against it.

© The Irish Times

******************************************

Talks continue in bid to make breakthrough in Northern Ireland -
Brendan Wright reports on another day of talks in the peace process
http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1215/9news/9news56_2a.smil

IRA criminality must end as part of NI deal, says Ahern - David
Davin-Power, Political Correspondent, reports on today's Dáil
exchanges on the issue of IRA activity
http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1215/9news/9news56_3a.smil
----

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3893300

Premiers Renew Search For Elusive Ulster Deal –V(2)

By Ian Graham, PA News

Prime Minister Tony Blair and his Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern
meet today to try to find a way of breathing new life into the
faltering efforts to restore devolution to Northern Ireland.

As ever, the problems surround IRA weapons and whether it will get
rid of them – and in a way that satisfies unionists.

The two premiers meet on the sidelines of the European Council
meeting in Brussels to try to map out their next move.

Day-long talks between the political parties and Northern Ireland
Secretary Paul Murphy and Irish foreign affairs minister Dermot
Ahern in Northern Ireland yesterday failed to resolve the issue.

The Democratic Unionist leader, the Rev Ian Paisley, is insisting
on photographic evidence of IRA weapons' destruction which he says
is needed to satisfy the unionist "man in the street".

Sinn Fein and the IRA have branded the idea a non-starter and a
humiliation too far.

After the seven hours of talks yesterday at Hillsborough Castle, Co
Down, the bizarre possibility was raised of the IRA finally doing
what unionists have been demanding for years – getting rid of all
its weapons – and unionists still refusing to share power in
government with Sinn Fein.

Mr Paisley claimed the IRA was considering destroying its weapons
without the photographic proof he was demanding.

He said such an act was outside the deal the governments and
parties had been trying to put together in recent weeks and could
have "serious consequences" for the DUP's attitude to other
elements of the comprehensive agreement to restore devolution.

Sinn Fein chairman Mitchel McLaughlin said Mr Paisley was so intent
on humiliating the IRA he was ready to throw away the chance of
progress.

He said the DUP leader giving the IRA an ultimatum not to deal
conclusively with its weapons was "an absurd situation which would
be laughable if it were not so serious."

Mr McLaughlin was careful not to comment on whether Mr Paisley's
claims were correct. But he said the situation was now the "stuff
of Alice in Wonderland".

He declared: "It must appear to many, including surely some within
his own party, that Ian Paisley's fixation on humiliating
republicans now stands in the way of finding a resolution to the
current problem."

Mr Murphy insists the Government is intent on resolving the issue
before the New Year if at all possible, but for that to happen it
appears that Mr Blair and Mr Ahern will have to pull a rabbit out
of the hat later today.

They have committed a huge amount of time to doing just that in the
past months and had to go to Belfast last week to admit failure –
despite all the spin about being almost there.

******************************************

http://www.politics.ie/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=6707

We Must Not Lose Sight Of Tremendous Progress - SF

Wednesday, December 15

In the course of his contribution to Statements on the Six Counties
this afternoon in the Dáil, Sinn Féin leader in the Dáil,
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said "no-one should lose sight of the
tremendous progress made" in relation to the peace process. He went
on to say there was a "need for renewed efforts by both governments
and all the parties to reach agreement". The Cavan/Monaghan Deputy
went on to call on the DUP to enter in to direct negotiations with
Sinn Féin.

Deputy Ó Caoláin said, "In the current fallout from the stalled
peace process no-one should lose sight of the tremendous progress
made and the potential for further progress. There is a need for
renewed efforts by both governments and all parties to reach
agreement. I know that my colleagues in the Sinn Féin negotiating
team are sparing no effort and this morning have been in further
talks in Belfast.

"I want to pay tribute to all those who played a positive role in
negotiations. They have not failed and their work is not over.

"The fundamentals of the Good Friday Agreement, including its
power-sharing, all-Ireland and equality provisions have been
defended and key aspects of the Agreement have been further
strengthened.

"The overall political package that was reached had a range of very
significant measures and each is important in its own right. They
are:

:: the reinstatement of the Executive, the Assembly and all-Ireland
structures, including the All-Ireland Ministerial Council ¨ the
removal by legislation in Westminster of the British Government's
ability to suspend the institutions

:: stronger pledge of office by Ministers to ensure that they
participate fully in the Executive

:: requirement of Ministers to engage with the All-Ireland
structures

:: devolution of policing and justice powers to the Assembly

:: Six-County representation in the Oireachtas

:: A programme of demilitarisation

:: Measures to address the issue of people 'on the run' in both
jurisdictions.

"These would be major steps forward by anyone's reckoning. With the
Good Friday Agreement strengthened in this way, progress is now
being stalled for a DUP demand for humiliation. Remember the DUP
has campaigned in successive elections against the Good Friday
Agreement. They still refuse to meet Sinn Féin. Sinn Féin is
prepared to meet the DUP at any time.

"I believe that the DUP last week lacked the courage and the
political will to sign up for a deal. That they came so far
represents real progress, in spite of last week's setback. I am
convinced that time and patient negotiation will bring them further
and I believe that can happen sooner rather than later.

"We have a huge opportunity to move forward. The commitment the IRA
was prepared to give on the issue of arms was huge, historic and
unprecedented.

"The IRA decided, in its own words, to "support a comprehensive
agreement by moving into a new mode which reflects our
determination to see the transition to a totally peaceful society".
It decided to instruct all IRA Volunteers not to engage in any
activity which might thereby endanger that new agreement. And the
IRA dealt, in an unprecedented manner, with the issue of arms, when
it committed to conclude the process to completely and verifiably
put all their arms beyond use and to agree with the IICD the
completion of this process, speedily, and if possible by the end of
December. To further enhance public confidence the IRA agreed to
the presence of two clergymen as observers during this process.

"Anyone who knows anything about republican history and about the
history of the peace process itself must acknowledge the huge
significance of the IRA initiative. The IRA deserves credit for
taking this very difficult and courageous step.

"There is a way forward from this most recent impasse. This should
include direct dialogue between the DUP and Sinn Féin and the DUP
owes it to its own electorate to give leadership by entering that
dialogue. "There is a comprehensive agreement, a real achievement,
on the table and we are determined to make progress on that basis.

"For Sinn Fein, and I hope for most in this Dáil, all of this is in
the context of the unfinished and ongoing project to unite our
country and all its people. Republicans are as determined as ever
to reach that goal."

******************************************

http://www.sinnfein.ie/news/detail/7909

Paisley Agenda On Arms Absurd

Published: 15 December, 2004

Sinn Féin Party Chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin speaking tonight
after Ian Paisley's remarks leaving Hillsborough said:

"If unnamed Special Branch or intelligence sources are going to set
Ian Paisley's agenda they are not going to set ours.

"Since the Good Friday Agreement was achieved unionist leaders have
claimed that the issue of arms was at the top of their agenda. Now
we have the leader of the DUP giving an ultimatum to the IRA not to
deal conclusively with its weapons. This is an absurd situation
which would be laughable if it were not so serious.

"The political process is in crisis because the DUP leader demands
a process of humiliation - and if this means the issue of arms not
being dealt with, and the significant offer made by the IRA last
week gather moss - then this is Ian Paisley's preference. This is
the stuff of Alice in Wonderland.

"It must appear to many, including surely some within his own
party, that Ian Paisley's fixation on humiliating republicans now
stands in the way of finding a resolution to the current problem."
ENDS

******************************************

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4099413.stm

Paisley Arms Claims Rejected

Sinn Fein has dismissed Ian Paisley's claim that the IRA is
considering destroying its weapons without photographic evidence.

Mr Paisley made the remarks after the DUP and other parties held
talks with British and Irish officials.

Sinn Fein's Mitchel McLaughlin said his comments were "the stuff of
Alice in Wonderland".

Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern meet on Thursday to consider ways of
breaking the deadlock over guns and photos.

Mr Paisley warned an IRA arms move without photographic evidence
would have "very serious consequences" for the political process.

Speaking after meeting Northern Ireland Secretary Paul Murphy and
Irish Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern, he said negotiations had been
"in the context of complete verifiable and transparent
decommissioning".

Three previous republican arms moves have been witnessed by members
of the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning
(IICD).

Mr Paisley said: "There is an indication that the IRA may be
considering proceeding to decommission its weapons under the
original IICD scheme, leaving out the additional elements relating
to transparency included in the draft statement from the IICD which
formed part of our comprehensive agreement.

"We want to make it clear that if the IRA does not fulfil its
obligations as envisaged in the comprehensive agreement, then its
refusal to meet these terms would have very serious consequences in
respect of the DUP's attitude to other elements of the
comprehensive agreement."

However, Mr McLaughlin said Mr Paisley "giving an ultimatum to the
IRA not to deal conclusively with its weapons" was "an absurd
situation which would be laughable if it were not so serious".

After the meeting with the DUP, Mr Murphy said both governments
would welcome decommissioning, but it would have to be done in such
a way that it would bring confidence in the community.

He added that any arms move in itself would not produce a
"political settlement, however good decommissioning would be".

Asked about Mr Paisley's claims that the IRA planned to press ahead
with decommissioning, he said: "I have no information to that
effect."

Proposals published jointly by the two governments last week
included a plan for the IRA to allow photographs to be taken of its
weapons being put beyond use in the presence of independent
witnesses.

The DUP argued that this was necessary to ensure that there was
confidence in the act of decommissioning.

But Sinn Fein said the IRA would "not submit to a process of
humiliation".

The political institutions in Northern Ireland have been suspended
since October 2002 amid allegations of IRA intelligence gathering
at the Northern Ireland Office.

The DUP and Sinn Fein became the largest unionist and nationalist
parties after assembly elections in November 2003.

However, the two parties have not been able to reach a deal which
would allow a power-sharing executive to be formed, and Northern
Ireland continues to be governed by direct rule from Westminster.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2004/12/15 22:16:12 GMT
© BBC MMIV

******************************************

http://www.utvlive.com/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=54260&pt=n

Sinn Fein Renew Paisley Appeal

Sinn Fein chiefs renewed their appeal for Ian Paisley's Democratic
Unionists to begin direct talks amid continued attempts to rescue
the Northern Ireland peace deal.

By:Press Association

As British and Irish officials met the political parties in a bid
to break the deadlock over IRA disarmament photographs, republicans
claimed the impasse was down to the DUP`s refusal to negotiate
directly.

Sinn Fein Vice President Pat Doherty said: "If Ian Paisley is
really interested in finding a solution to the problems then he
should talk directly to Gerry Adams.

"Many of the difficulties have arisen through misunderstandings of
and misinterpretation of the relative positions because they are
being fed through a third party - in this case the two
governments."

The West Tyrone MP issued his challenge as Northern Ireland
Secretary Paul Murphy and Irish foreign affairs minister Dermot
Ahern chaired discussions at Hillsborough Castle in Co Down.

US Special Envoy Mitchell Reiss, in Northern Ireland on a two-day
visit, was also involved in the meetings.

The talks were centred around the Provisionals` refusal to meet DUP
demands for photos to be taken of its arsenal being destroyed,
fearing it was an attempt to humiliate the organisation.

This resistance stopped Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern from completing an historic plan to achieve
total IRA decommissioning and getting republicans and unionists to
run a new power-sharing administration at Stormont.

But London and Dublin today pledged to press for a resolution.

A joint British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference communique,
released during the Hillsborough negotiations, said: "The proposals
covered the key issues that must be resolved, and could bring
closure to all outstanding issues.

"The governments remain fully committed to this vision, to the
early restoration of devolved government on an inclusive basis in
Northern Ireland and the full operation of all of the political
institutions of the Belfast Agreement."

******************************************

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4098507.stm

'Arms Photo Reasonable': Ahern

British and Irish Government proposals for photographic evidence of
IRA decommissioning were reasonable, the Irish premier has said.

The DUP had demanded clarification of Bertie Ahern's position after
he suggested earlier in the week that the call for photographs was
unworkable.

He was speaking on Wednesday as the British and Irish Governments
held talks with the NI parties.

They are aimed at resurrecting a deal on power-sharing.

The governments want the discussions to focus on the key
outstanding issue of IRA decommissioning and "transparency".

An agreement on restoring devolution broke down last week.

On Monday, the DUP had threatened to break off contact with the
Irish Government after Taoiseach Bertie Ahern appeared to concede
that photographic evidence of disarmament was "unworkable".

However, Mr Paisley said he would meet the Irish foreign minister
once the taoiseach clarifies his government's position in the Irish
Parliament.

'Fair and reasonable judgment'

Mr Ahern told the Dail on Wednesday he believed the governments'
proposals over photographs continued "to represent a fair and
reasonable judgment".

He said that, in the context of an overall comprehensive agreement,
they should have been "sufficient to close the gap on this most
sensitive issue".

"I should make it clear that we always understood that the
photographs issue would be a difficult one for the IRA," he said.

"However, in the context of an overall package, it was our
understanding that this proposal would be considered by them. They
have, of course, since said that they are unable to agree to it."

The taoiseach said humiliation did not play any part in the
governments' proposals and "cannot be part of this process".

Secretary of State Paul Murphy and Irish Foreign Minister Dermot
Ahern are holding discussions with the parties at Hillsborough in
County Down.

They both issued a statement on Wednesday saying they remained
fully committed to the Good Friday Agreement and reaffirmed the
view that their latest proposals can bring a deal.

However, there is no sign of the deadlock being broken.

Speaking after his meeting, SDLP leader Mark Durkan said there was
now an exclusion clause which would see his party out of government
if they did not vote for a new executive.

"The basis of inclusion for the DUP and Sinn Fein was good enough
for them then, now why isn't it good enough for them to concede and
allow to the SDLP and the UUP in the future?"

Sinn Fein's Alex Maskey said "no new ideas" had been put to his
party.

Ulster Unionist Sir Reg Empey said: "People need to get their heads
around this - this is the potential for an embryonic all-Ireland
parliament."

Proposals published jointly by the two governments included a plan
for the IRA to allow photographs to be taken of its weapons being
put beyond use in the presence of independent witnesses.

The DUP argued that this was necessary to ensure that there was
confidence in the act of decommissioning.

But Sinn Fein said the IRA would "not submit to a process of
humiliation".

Earlier on Wednesday, the DUP's Gregory Campbell said there had to
be a visual aspect to decommissioning so the public could have
confidence in the process.

There had been no confidence in previous decommissioning "stunts"
as there had been no transparency in them, he told BBC News on
Wednesday.

US Special Envoy Mitchell Reiss is also at Hillsborough holding
meetings with the politicians.

The political institutions in Northern Ireland have been suspended
since October 2002 amid allegations of IRA intelligence gathering
at the Northern Ireland Office.

The DUP and Sinn Fein became the largest unionist and nationalist
parties after assembly elections in November 2003.

However, the two parties have not been able to reach a deal which
would allow a power-sharing executive to be formed, and Northern
Ireland continues to be governed by direct rule from Westminster.

Story from BBC NEWS:
Published: 2004/12/15 13:54:59 GMT
© BBC MMIV

******************************************

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2004/1216/427987779HM8DLCRIME.html

McDowell Accuses IRA Of 'Sustained Campaign Of Criminality'

Michael O'Regan

The Minister for Justice has accused the IRA of engaging in a
"sustained campaign of criminality" since the signing of the
Belfast Agrement.

"I have said this not just about so-called policing of nationalist
and republican areas in Northern Ireland, but about criminality of
the worst kind, theft and robbery," said Mr McDowell. "It has been
orchestrated by senior members of the provisional hierarchy on a
sustained basis."

The Minister said he had been asked to either put up or shut up.
"On my honour, I say this country has been the victim of sustained
criminality by leading members of the provisional movement.

"It is not just people's limbs being broken and people being exiled
or threatened. There has been and, despite mendacious claims that
the Supreme Court decided otherwise, we have been vindicated at
every hand's turn on that matter. That is the solid position of the
Government, which has not and will not change."

The reality, Mr McDowell said, was that only one party in the House
wanted to see the killers of Det Garda Jerry McCabe released. He
asked if anybody believed that the Taoiseach, himself and their
Government colleagues would authorise their release if there was a
conceivable alternative.

The Government was united on its approach to the issue of the
ending of criminality, he said. "There is not a chink of difference
between us."

Mr Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (SF, Cavan-Monaghan) said he believed that
the DUP last week lacked the courage and the political will to sign
up for a deal.

"That they came so far represents real progress, in spite of last
week's setback," he added. "I am convinced that time and patient
negotiation will bring them further and I believe that can happen
sooner rather than later."

He added that anybody who knew anything about republican history
and the history of the peace process itself must acknowledge the
huge significance of the IRA initiative. "The IRA deserves credit
for taking this very difficult and courageous step," he said.

Mr Ó Caoláin said the way forward should include direct dialogue
between the DUP and Sinn Féin, adding that the DUP owed it to its
electorate to give leadership by entering talks.

© The Irish Times

******************************************

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2004/1216/1134981417HM2FARMERSS.html

Only 10,000 Full-Time Farmers In A Decade, Says Report

Seán MacConnell, Agriculture Correspondent

By the year 2015 there will be 105,000 farmers in the State but
only 10,000 of these will be full- time and viable, according to a
report on the agri-sector.

This represents a 50 per cent drop on the current number of viable
farms, it says.

The AgriVision 2015 Committee report, published yesterday, says it
expected that a total of 30,000 of the farms would be viable if
there was off-farm income on 20,000 of them.

It said it expected 37,000 would be non-viable part-time farms and
a further 38,000 would be in transition.

The report outlines a vision of a market-led agricultural sector,
supported by research and development (R&D) and integrated into a
national development plan and a rural landscape.

Set up under the chairmanship of Mr Alan Dukes to upgrade the 2010
report, which did not take into account the recent CAP reforms, new
world trade trends and globalisation, the 2015 report predicts
major changes in the sector.

Mr Dukes says the changes in farming would have to be reflected in
attitudes towards rural development as the importance of farming
declined.

"Over the next 10 years agriculture will no longer be the primary
driver of rural development in Ireland. In this context, the
committee is strongly of the view that Ireland's rural development
policy agenda must be integrated into the wider regional planning
and development policy frameworks," the report says.

It says that despite the decline in the relative importance of
agriculture, when expressed as a share of national income, some 40
per cent of the population currently lives in rural areas.

The report looks at the "public goods" role in agriculture. It says
people must realise there is more to agriculture than the
production of agricultural goods.

Agriculture also produced public goods such as the rural landscape.
The multifunctional role of agriculture as a provider of rural
landscape, cultural features, heritage features and bio-diversity
all had to be looked at and would, in future, provide an
increasingly important justification for the public support of
agricultural incomes.

The committee has recommended that Comhairle na Tuaithe develop a
countryside code and national countryside recreation strategy to
resolve any future difficulties in relation to access to the
countryside.

It says Government policy has increasingly acknowledged the key
role education, R&D and innovation play in maintaining the State's
competitiveness.

The agriculture and food industries will remain important to the
economy over the next 10 years and the competitive potential of
these industries depends on their ability to develop as knowledge-
based industries.

Mr Dukes said the most important recommendation was that the sector
be linked to the market. The committee had also expressed the
opinion that there were problems with over regulation of the sector
compared to competitors.

He added that it was important that the food industry was totally
aware of the needs of the market and that was the key message in
the committee's report.

The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Ms Coughlan, said she
favoured most of the recommendations she had read in the report and
would give a considered view soon.

© The Irish Times

******************************************

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northwest_weekly/story.jsp?story=593411

Sinn Fein Begins Its Postal Service

15 December 2004

Sinn Fein has launched its annual Christmas postal service in
Londonderry.

The postal service will run until next Monday with stamps available
at a reduced cost of 15p.

Urging people to take up the postal service, Councillor Hassan
said: "Derry Sinn Fein have run a postal service over the Christmas
period since 1975 and it has become a traditional part of the
Republican calendar in the city.

"This has involved local post being delivered through the Sinn Fein
structures across the city at a fraction of the price of normal
stamps."

He added: "As the oldest political party in Ireland, the theme of
the stamp this year will be celebrating 100 years of Sinn Fein
history and can be purchased from the local Sinn Fein centres."

Monthly Table of Contents 12/04
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