West Belfast Sinn Féin Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Irish language DPP meeting for Clonard

Published: 24 September, 2009

The latest West Belfast public District Policing Partnership meeting will take place tonight, Thursday 24 September, in the Clonard Youth Centre in the grounds of Clonard Monastery at 7pm.

West Belfast Sinn Fein spoke in advance of the meeting to republican ex-prisoner and Gaelgeoir Rosie McCorley, who is a member of the West Belfast DPP.

Ms McCorley said:

'DPP members have been pressing for some time now for acknowledgement of the Irish language in the DPP meetings.

'We are pleased that tonight, a PSNI officer will be available to answer questions in Irish from DPP members and from members of the public.

'I have raised the issue of the Irish language at different times over the past year and the fact that the PSNI are making an officer available to answer questions as Gaeilge is a positive development and shows a willingness to begin to acknowledge the large Irish speaking community in West Belfast.

'Tá deacrachtaí ag muintir Bhéal Feirste ar cheist na bpóilíní agus tugann an ócáid seo seans do dhaoine a ndeacrachtaí agus a gceisteanna a chur go díreach os comhair an PSNI as Gaeilge don chéad uair riamh'.

'People in West Belfast have many issues with how our community is policed. This meeting is an opportunity to publicly address the PSNI in our native language about the service or lack of service that the PSNI are providing.

'Another event which will raise the question of the Irish language will take place next month when the Policing Board will host a Community Engagement Public Meeting for Irish speakers in the Hilton Hotel on Wednesday, 21 October at 7pm. Translation services will be available for non-Irish speakers.

'The Board's Independent Member, Gearóid ÓhEára, will be the lead facilitator for the evening and representatives from the PSNI and board members will give an overview of policing and the work of the board in relation to outreach to Irish speakers. There will be time provided to ask questions of the panel.'

Other issues that will be raised at the West Belfast public DPP meeting in Clonard tonight are the future of New Barnsley PSNI station, the resourcing of neighbourhood policing teams, the Orange parade on the Springfield Road on 13 July 2009, the spend on tackling anti-social behaviour and the issue of anti-social behaviour in the Ross Road area.

Sinn Fein councillor Máire Cush, who is also a member of the West Belfast DPP, said:

'It is expected that the withholding of information vital to the inquest into the murder of Pearse Jordan by the RUC will be brought up at the meeting.

'The Jordan family have fought a long and determined battle for the truth about Pearse's murder and they have the full support of the community and Sinn Féin for refusing to give up that battle.

'We will also be raising our serious concerns about the levels of stop and search operations occurring in West Belfast. The overuse or abuse of powers by the police should be a matter of concern for everyone in this community.

"The PSNI needs to build relationships with communities who have been the victims of bad policing for generations. That will not be done by political pronouncements in the media or a return to the policing failures of the past.

"The police need to do their job in a way which garners community support. It is only through building relationships and trust between the PSNI and the community they serve that an effective policing service will be built."