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

Ard Fheis speech by Paul Butler, Sinn Fein councillor on Lisburn City Council.

The Irish government and opposition parties - Fine Gael, the PDs, the Labour party, Fianna Fail have shamefully refused to work alongside Sinn Fein to highlight and challenge the discrimination and violence that Irish citizens living in the north face from unionists and loyalists.

Lisburn, Ballymena, Castlereagh, Larne, Ballymoney, Coleraine, Antrim - all are shining examples of how Unionists, without the obligation of power-sharing or equality provisions, will govern without regard for the rights or entitlements of nationalists.

Discrimination on these and other local Councils since partition led to Councils being stripped of most of their powers in 1972.

However, the way that Unionist-dominated councils have been allowed to abuse the little remaining powers they have is an indictment not only of the British government, but also of the Irish government and political establishment.

Whether it is discrimination in the provision of youth and leisure services for nationalist areas, or the provocative display of British emblems and flags on Council-owned property, or the refusal to respect the rights of Irish language speakers, unionist discriminators at local government level have been permitted to continue, unhindered by the British government and without challenge or rebuke or interest from parties in Leinster House.

It is no coincidence that many of the worst manifestations of loyalist violence in recent years have been located within council areas where unionist discriminators govern without restraint.

By their actions, they have taught their loyalist support base to treat the local nationalist community with contempt, fostering a tolerance towards loyalist violence and an incendiary anti-catholic sectarianism.

In recent days I have dealt with nationalist families residing in a village called Stoneyford. Loyalists - facilitated by the PSNI- have been able to conduct a campaign of intimidation and terror against catholic families.

Last summer there were sustained anti-catholic attacks across the north Antrim area covered by a number of the unionist-controlled councils that have made discrimination and naked sectarianism their by-words.

The Irish government must do much, much more to confront the reality of unionist discrimination in the six counties. We demand, as Irish citizens, that the Irish government speak and act on behalf of Irish citizens.

Local government authorities in the 26 counties should seriously re-consider any associations they may have with discriminating councils in the north. In Lisburn we are lobbying Kildare County Council to officially end their association with Lisburn Council and we call on other Councils to follow our lead.

The unionist discriminators must be faced down. It is time for the Irish government and opposition parties to raise their voices and support Sinn Fein's demands for Equality Now.