Republican Sinn Féin salutes the people of Catalunya on their overwhelming vote for independence. The Catalan people defied the brutality of the Spanish state and gave witness to the world of their will for national sovereignty. The Spanish state, with tacit approval of the EU, attempted to subvert this national expression of the Catalan people’s demand for national freedom, illustrating once again that the EU is a bastion of the old imperialist states.
The Republic shamefully also lent its support to the Spanish state by declaring that it would refuse to recognise the democratically expressed wishes of the Catalonian people. These are the same people who claim historic lineage from the first Dáil Éireann, which adopted Ireland’s Declaration of Independence on January 21 1919 and sought recognition for the Irish Republic from the other free nations of the world.
A century later the 26-county state in contrast lines itself up alongside the old imperial powers of Europe in order to deny Catalonian people their right to nationhood. They have shamed themselves and do not speak for the Irish people or their historical experience of breaking the chains of colonial rule.
The response of the Spanish state to the independence referendum in Catalunya echoes the response of the British state to the democratically expressed wish of the Irish people for national independence in 1918, the last occasion the Irish people, acting as a unit, elected an All-Ireland national parliament.
The response of the British state to the democratic will of the Irish people was to impose martial law and unleash on them the infamous ‘Black and Tans’. Like Ireland, Catalunya is seeking to take its place in the world community of free nations. As was the case with Ireland a century ago, the response of the occupier is not to respect the democratically expressed wishes of the people for independence, but instead to unleash the forces of repression. Just as the first Dáil was declared an ‘illegal’ assembly by the British, the Spanish state has moved to usurp the powers of the Catalan parliament and imprison members of its government.
The words of Ireland’s Declaration of Independence of almost a century ago still resonate in the 21st Century: “We claim for our national independence the recognition and support of every free nation in the world, and we proclaim that independence to be a condition precedent to international peace hereafter.”
DES DALTON
Republican Sinn Féin, Dublin
VAT on tourism products needs to be reduced
I have been making ongoing representations to the Treasury ministers in London regarding the need to underpin and pump prime our local tourism industry in south Down.
One of the most important aspects would be to reduce VAT on tourism products and also to ensure that Air Passenger Duty remains at zero.
Only last week I wrote to the Treasury to urge that the Chancellor of the Exchequer introduce such a measure in the forthcoming budget to boost our local economy. I understand that the government is committed to commission a detailed consultative report on the ‘impact of VAT and Air Passenger Duty’ on tourism in Northern Ireland and to recommend how best to build upon the growing success of that sector. But why wait for the results of a commission when the evidence of the impact of the reduction in VAT on tourism products is already evident in the Republic where it was reduced some years ago on a pilot basis and then fully implemented in subsequent years and where the level of employment in the hospitality industry has increased significantly.
There is no better example of the success of the tourism industry than in south Down in our lowlands, upland regions and coastal areas where large numbers of people already visit and where they can avail of events and experience the wonderful contrasting landscape.
To boost such a tourism offering, the government must bring forward a reduction in VAT in tourism which is currently at 20 per cent. I will continue to press on this matter to protect our jobs and the economy in the hospitality, pub, restaurant and hotels sector.
MARGARET RITCHIE
SDLP, South Down
Media has moral duty to report in an objective way
I am sure some readers will have heard about the controversy in Great Britain concerning tax avoidance or tax evasion. I observed during one interview Piers Morgan and other contributors referred to a ‘moral dimension’ in relation to those who keep within the law but who avoid paying huge amounts of tax. The thought occurred to me that the same Piers during his interview with Rees Mogg on abortion did not acknowledge any ‘moral dimension’ as regards abortion. I also observed several weeks ago an article by Alison Morris in which she used the words ‘forced’ regarding those women who choose to have an abortion and travel to England. Is it too much to expect that those involved in the media attempt to acknowledge that there are serious moral issues involved. Our media contributors have a moral duty to report and comment in an objective way on the current issues in our society. A free and objective media is one of the core parts of any free society and unfortunately there is very little evidence that those with pro-life beliefs are being fairly treated by our main media contributors.
EAMON DALLETT
Dungiven, Co Derry
PSNI has been too politic
Brian Feeney’s article – ‘PSNI not representative of society – and that’s a big problem’ (November 8) – points to a serious fault line in how policing is operated here. And it is a serious
fault line.
Let us be clear about policing, those who object to it are unconcerned about rights and responsibility. Then we meet the complicated issue of who governs us in our day-to-day lives.
There are many – those anti-PSNI whose cars are burned or have their homes burgled – who will be the first to cry ‘foul’.
The PSNI is an organisation that is there to enforce the law. Are they perfect? No. Are they redundant? No.
I believe the PSNI have been too politic. They continue to support the British government’s blocking of files. Such behaviour is disgraceful.
MANUS McDAID
Derry City
Wishy-washy nonsense
Once again we have Denis Bradley directing his angst towards the Church (November 3).
He should know better than most that despite what troubles the Church might have that Christ promised to be with it and not even the gates of Hell will prevail against it. His claim that our faith should be one of doubt, like jumping off a cliff and hoping someone catches us at the bottom, is just wishy-washy nonsense.
J DIAMOND
Coleraine, Co Derry
Crisis in Yemen
Millions of people who are facing a famine in Yemen due to a blockade imposed by that despotic regime in Saudi Arabia. Theresa May has a role to play in stopping this famine. She can pick up her phone and tell the Saudis to stop the blockade.
PAUL DORAN
Clondalkin, Dublin 22
