At least 10 activists killed

At least 10 activists have reportedly been killed after Israeli forces opened fire on a Gaza aid flotilla.
Over 60 pro-Palestinian activists have also been wounded after the storming by Israeli armed forces of at least one of the six ships loaded with humanitarian aid headed for Gaza, say reports.At least two Malaysian activists are believed to be on the aid flotilla, though this has yet to be confirmed.

Ask me your questions

In March, an Taoiseach Brian Cowen T.D. gave me the honour of joining his Cabinet team. As your Minister for Community, Equality & Gaeltacht Affairs, I represent your local and community interests as well as those of our national language.Since then, I have been working on the issues that matter most to you, including collaborating with my Cabinet colleagues to tackle the threat posed by head shops. Recently, an Taoiseach started a dialogue with you by asking for your views on his speech about the mistakes we have made and our policy responses to the banking crisis. Hundreds of you responded to his request, and some will soon be featured on the Fianna Fáil website.I want to continue that dialogue. That's why I'm inviting you to send me your questions and concerns about the issues that my department covers.I'll post some of the answers on the website and on YouTube. Submit your question now:

Your questions - which may cover any topic in my portfolio, from community, equality and rural affairs, to the National Drugs Strategy, to the future of the Irish language - will be the first step in what I hope will be a fruitful dialogue.You can submit your question via Twitter by including the hashtag #askpatcarey, or through our website by using the link below:http://www.fiannafail.ie/patcareyThank you,Pat Carey T.D.Minister for Community, Equality & Gaeltacht Affairs
A Chara,Ba mhór an onóir domsa é nuair a cheap an Taoiseach Brian Cowen T.D. mé mar chuid dá fhoireann Rialtais i mí na Márta. Mar Aire Gnóthaí Pobail, Comhionnanais agus Gaeltachta, táimse ann chun freastal a dhéanamh oraibhse agus chun dul i ngleic le na rudaí is mó go gcuireann sibhse spéis iontu go háitiúil agus ag leibhéal an phobail. Ar ndóigh, táim freagrach chomh maith as ár dteanga náisiúnta. Ó cheapadh mar Aire mé táim ag obair ar na cúrsaí is mó a bhíonn ag dó na geirbe agaibhse. Mar shampla táim ag obair i dteannta mo chomhghleacaithe Rialtais chun leigheas a fháil ar scéal na Headshops.Sin an fáth go bhfuilim ag tabhairt cuireadh daoibhse bhur gceisteanna a chur chugam faoi aon réimse a thagann faoi chúram mo Roinne. Cuirfidh mé na freagraí ar na ceisteanna seo ar line agus ar Youtube. Seol chugam bhur gceisteanna anois:http://www.fiannafail.ie/patcareyIs féidir ceist a chur faoi ábhar ar bith a bhaineann le mo Roinnse - cúrsaí pobail nó comhionnanais, cúsaí tuaithe, an Stráitéis Náisiúnta Drugaí nó todhcaí na Gaeilge. Tá súil agam gurb í seo an chéad cheím again i gcomhrá a bheidh fiúntach.Is féidir ceisteanna a sheoladh tríd Twitter leis an hashtag #askpatcarey, nó ar ár suíomh idirlín ag an nasc thíos:http://www.fiannafail.ie/patcarey

Míle buíochas, Pádraig Ó Ciardha, T.D.

An tAire Gnóthaí Pobail Comhionnanais agus Gaeltachta

Q&A: Freedom Flotilla project in aid of Gaza

Nine vessels carrying passengers and cargo have set sail from Ireland, Greece and Turkey and are headed for the beleaguered Gaza Strip to break Israel's naval blockade on the territory. Below are some frequently asked questions about the voyage.

What is the “Freedom Flotilla” and why is it going to Gaza?
The Freedom Flotilla is a coalition of aid organizations that aim to deliver aid to the Gaza strip, which has been blockaded by Israel and Egypt since June 2007, when Palestinian Islamic resistance group Hamas took control of it. Israel controls the crossings into Gaza from its own territory, as well as its air space and territorial waters, and Egypt controls the sole crossing into its territory at Rafah.
This has prevented many essential items required by the 1.5 million people that live in Gaza from getting in, such as medical equipment, stationary, food items, and even toys. A number of aid organizations have referred to the blockade as “collective punishment” for the people of Gaza. The Freedom Flotilla will attempt to breach the sea blockade of Gaza and deliver such items.
What exactly will the flotilla be delivering to Gaza?
It is taking construction materials such as cement and iron, generators, ultrasound machines, dentist chairs and equipment, blood testing devices, electric wheelchairs and toys.
The cargo will be scanned at every port it calls at before reaching Gaza to ensure that it does not constitute a threat to Israel.
How many passengers and how much cargo will the flotilla include?
Nine vessels: four for cargo and five for passengers. There will be at least 10,000 tons in cargo, and up to 800 people from more than 40 countries on the flotilla.
Aid groups from Sweden, Ireland, Greece, Turkey and Malaysia have been involved. Among the passengers are journalists, lawmakers, activists and civilian volunteers.
Has the flotilla been endorsed by any position of authority?
The Turkish government and prime minister have expressed support for the flotilla, and the Director of Operations of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza, John Ging, has called for the international community to “break” the siege on Gaza by sending ships.
The Irish ambassador in Israel has also expressed support, asking Israel to ensure that all the aid arrives in its destination and Irish citizens not be harmed.
The Free Gaza Movement, one of the organizing groups which attempted such trips eight times before, has endorsements from Arshbishop Desmond Tutu and Noam Chomsky among many others.
Has such a campaign been attempted before?
The Free Gaza Movement, one of the coalition partners, started the campaign in August 2008, sending two boats in August 2008. These were the first international boats to land in the port in 41 years.
It has since attempted to break the blockade seven times but the last three times have been blocked by Israel.
The latest attempt, with the Freedom Flotilla, differs in that it is significantly larger and has many more passengers.
Will Israel allow the vessels to enter?
Israel controls Gaza’s territorial waters, and has warned campaigners not to attempt to break the blockade, saying it will use “any means necessary” to stop the flotilla. Israel has, in the past, stopped the flotilla by ramming it with gunboats, towing it to its own ports as well as taking in passengers from international waters and detaining them.
The Israeli navy has reportedly been conducting practice exercises in order to block the Freedom Flotilla.
Organisers have said they are undeterred and are determined to continue.
The presence of high profile personalities on the ships gives the campaigners leverage over Israel, but the state has not hesitated to imprison prominent people in the past, including former congresswoman and US presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney.
Some of the vessels will be flying the Turkish flag. If such a vessel is attacked in international waters, a major diplomatic incident could follow.
Why does Israel not allow the vessels to enter?
Israel claims that some of the aid material that is being carried by the vessels could pose a threat to its security, and strengthen Hamas, which controls the Gaza strip. The cement, for example, could be used to build bunkers for Hamas’ leadership, it has argued.
The United Nations Development Program has said that up to 75% of the damage caused by Israel’s 2008-2009 war there remains unrepaired.
Does Israel have a legal argument in blockading the Gaza Strip?
Following Israel's unilateral disengagement from Gaza in August 2005, where the military and settlers left the strip, the Israeli supreme court ruled that the territory was no longer occupied, however the international community has not accepted that status.
In September 2007, Israel declared Hamas-ruled Gaza a "hostile entity", reserving the right to blockade the strip and conduct military activities there under the pretext of security.
After the December 2008-January 2009 Israeli war on Gaza, the Israeli Defence Forces began enforcing a naval blockade of Gaza for 20 nautical miles, thus blocking all routes of access into Gaza. Since then, no aid ships have been allowed to enter Gaza's waters.
In justifying its actions in Gaza's territorial waters, Israel is also likely to cite the Gaza-Jericho agreement of May, 1994. Under the agreement between the Palestinian National Authority and Israel, part of the Oslo Accords, Israel reserved the right to patrol 20 nautical miles of those waters "without limitations" and take "any measures necessary against vessels suspected of being used for terrorist activities... or for any other illegal activity".
Palestinian Canadian lawyer Diana Buttu however says that Israel declared the Oslo Accords dead in 2001, and has already breached the agreements, thus diminishing the plausibility of that argument.

Abbas Al Lawati

Irish ship to run Gaza blockade, bring food to Palestinians

A 1200-ton cargo ship that was abandoned in July 2009 off the coast of Ireland will be used by the Irish Free Gaza movement to try and run a Gaza blockade to deliver food and supplies to Palestinians.
The boat has been repainted and refitted and is called the 'Rachel Corrie' after an American activist crushed to death in 2003 by an Israeli military bulldozer as she attempted to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home in Gaza.
Derek Graham one of the organizers of the flotilla, "We are doing this to show the people of Gaza that they are not alone. There's nothing going into Gaza, no aid. We are prepared to run the blockade to try and get aid in. We have done it before. Out of eight previous attempts, five were successful.”
The Free Gaza Movement along with the Turkish humanitarian organization, IHH, the European Campaign to End the Siege of Gaza and the Greek and Swedish Boat to Gaza organizations will sail 8 boats led by the Rachel Corrie loaded with building supplies as well as taking 600 passengers and journalists at the end of May to run the Gaza blockade.
The Rachel Corrie was abandoned in the town of Dundalk, near the Irish border by its owners after it was discovered they had not paid the crew, all from Lithuania. Free Gaza activists bought the ship for $100,000.
Organizers say that on May Day weekend, a mini convoy of vans loaded with medical supplies from eight different cities in Ireland and England will be delivering and loading these supplies on the ship.
People in Norway have donated more than 6 tons of paper and school supplies with a goal of 25 tons to be loaded as cargo.
Israel refuses to allow paper and supplies in for the children.
One of Free Gaza’s organizers, Caoimhe Butterly, stated "The public response to the cargo ship has been immense, and we hope that in the remaining three weeks before we set sail, communities across Ireland will continue to mobilize and gather supplies. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is a symptom of Israel’s siege and Occupation, and this flotilla will spotlight the devastating collective punishment that is being imposed on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip."

P Cooper

Banking crisis and the economic recession

Last night, I spoke about the severe impact that the banking crisis and the economic recession have had on this country and its people.


Watch a video of my speech from last night here, and share your comments.
This crisis has damaged the livelihoods of our citizens. It has tarnished our international reputation. It has required the Irish taxpayer to give unprecedented financial support to the banking sector. This has caused much anger which I share. The actions we are taking to sort out the banks and the public finances are crucial to ensure our return to prosperity and jobs growth. And we are recognised internationally as a country that has faced up to these problems and is dealing with them effectively. We now have in place a solid platform to rebuild our banking sector, so I think this is a good time to answer the key questions concerning the near collapse in the Irish banking system.
Watch this video, and join our discussion here:http://fiannafail.ie/BankingNextStepsLe gach dea guí,Brian Cowen TDTaoiseach

Evening seminar on war consequences and Life in Gaza

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Dear Friends

The Islamic Cultural Centre of Ireland (ICCI) would like to invite you to

an Evening Seminar with a talk on 'The War Consequences and Life in Gaza'

Presented by Mr. Nasim Ahmed from Palestinian Return Centre, London.

This open forum will be chaired by MEP Proinsias De Rossa.

The seminar will take place on Thursday 13th May from 6.30pm to 8.30pm at ICCI, Clonskeagh, Dublin 14

for further information contact at 01-208 0000 or email to ahmed@islamireland.ie

All welcome

We are looking forward to seeing you there

يتشرف المركز الثقافي الإسلامي بدعوتكم لحضور ندوة مسائية

تحت عنوان

"إكتشف الحقيقة، الحياة في غزة و الدمار الذي خلفته الحرب"

يعرض المأساة الأستاذ نسيم أحمد من مركز العودة الفلسطيني بلندن

يرأس الجلسة السيد برونشس ديروسا عضو البرلمان الأوربي من إيرلندا

الزمان: الخميس 13 مايو 2010 على تمام الساعة 6:30 إلى الساعة 8:30 مساءً

المكان: صالة الرياضة بالمركز القلفي الإسلامي بإيرلندا

ahmed@islamireland.ie لمزيد من المعلومات الرجاء الإتصال بالمركز على 012080000 او البريد الألكتروني

و الدعوة عامة

Rally to remember Tyrrelstown

Rally to remember Tyrrelstown stabbing victim Monday, 5 April 2010
Friends and neighbours of the 15-year-old boy who was stabbed to death in west Dublin held a rally at his school in Hartstown this afternoon in his memory.
Toyosi Shittabey and four of his friends were on their way back home from the National Aquatic Centre on Good Friday at about 8pm when the stabbing happened.
Today friends of Toyosi came to pay tribute to the boy at his school.
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Each lit a candle under his official school photograph, which had been taken just a few weeks ago, and they left their own private messages of condolence to his family.
A candlelit vigil will be held at 7pm tonight in Tyrrelstown.
Friends and neighbours have paid tribute to the dead youth - describing him as 'a very quiet boy'.
The principal of Hartstown Community School said the students of the school are deeply saddened and very shocked by what has happened to Toyosi.
John Bean described Toyosi as a much-loved member of the school community.
He described Toyosi as a 'great guy' and full of life, who just wanted to be busy and active all the time.
He said Toyosi brought great honour to himself and to the school through his achievements in football and athletics.
His class teacher, Julie Reilly, said that Toyosi was a loved and popular student both with his peers and teachers and that he always had a big smile on his face. She said he was a great athlete and a super footballer and he will be sadly missed by all his classmates and throughout Hartstown Community School.
Both spoke at the rally held in honour of Toyosi in his school today.
Also speaking at today's event Shaykh Umar Al-Qadri, Imaam of Al Mustafa Islamic Centre in west Dublin, said his message to the community and especially to the Muslim community is to remain calm at this moment and remain peaceful, he said that is the message of Islam.
The 15-year-old was studying to do his Junior Cert at Hartstown Community School and was a keen footballer.
Tributes have also been paid to Toyosi from Shelbourne Football Club.
The youngster was involved with the team and also played for Insaka-Ireland Football, the football club for African children in Ireland.
Last night, two men were charged in connection with his death.
23-year-old Michael Barry of Pigeon House Road, Dublin, was charged with possession of a weapon, believed to be a hockey stick.
38-year-old Paul Barry, from Pearse Street, Dublin was charged with the manslaughter of the teenager. He is due to before Cloverhill District Court tomorrow morning.