Paul Maskey
Encyclopedia
Paul John Maskey is an Irish republican politician in Northern Ireland
who is a member of Sinn Féin
. He has been a Sinn Féin member (MLA) of the Northern Ireland Assembly
for Belfast West
since 2007, and was elected in June 2011
as Member of Parliament (MP) for the Westminster constituency of Belfast West
, but in line with Sinn Féin's policy of abstentionism
he has not taken his seat.
, in order to help encourage visitors from across the border and elsewhere in the Eurozone. In December 2005, as chair of the West Belfast Partnership, he linked up with Shankill Tourism to set up an Arts and Heritage trail which included both the Shankill Road and Falls Road areas. He welcomed publication of a tourist map of Belfast in 2006 which included a Gaeltacht Quarter
in west Belfast, and in 2008 the group published a map and guide to all gable end mural
s in the west of Belfast. When he was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly, Maskey became unpaid chair of Fáilte Feirste Thiar.
of 7 June 2001, Maskey was elected as a Sinn Féin councillor for the Upper Falls electoral area on Belfast City Council
, topping the poll on first preferences. He became chairman of the Belfast Waterfront Hall
Board, helping to guide the venue to be ranked as the best congress centre in the UK and the fifth best in the World at the final of the Apex Award 2004 - World's Best Congress Centre awards, organised by the International Association of Congress Centres.
He was also chairman of the Client Services committee of Belfast City Council. but in January 2005 he could not win committee or council support for a proposal costing £175,000 to convert the minor hall used by the Group Theatre at the Ulster Hall
into dual-purpose performance space during the refurbishment of the Hall. From 2005 he was leader of the Sinn Féin group on the City Council. His criticism of the rival Irish nationalist SDLP
for meeting and 'hobnobbing' with Charles, Prince of Wales
at the end of 2005 was branded as "tribal clap-trap from a man who surely knows better" by Newton Emerson
in the Daily Mirror, with Emerson noting that Maskey had been "the perfect host" when they had previously met. Maskey resigned his seat on 14 September 2009.
as part of a Sinn Féin team which won five out of the six seats in Belfast West
. After a Public Accounts Committee report criticised the waste of money on a project to build a campus of the University of Ulster
on one of the peace lines
at Springvale in north Belfast, Maskey placed the blame on the SDLP Minister Carmel Hanna
. He became chairman of the committee in May 2008. In July 2009 he supported a committee investigation into the £33m paid annually in legal fees and compensation to people claiming for tripping on pavements.
Under Maskey's chairmanship the committee held a detailed scrutiny of Northern Ireland Water in 2010, after it awarded 70 contracts without competition. Maskey denounced the situation as "absolutely staggering" and said that he could not remember "a more serious case of complete disregard for public sector ethics." The committee held a meeting to question officers of NI Water which took three and a half hours; Maskey joked at the end that the officers would need an "articulated lorry" to send all the information requested by MLAs.
When Maskey organised a protest against a parade by Royal Irish Regiment
soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan in October 2008, he explained that he wanted "a peaceful, dignified protest" against the wars, but that he did want to see British forces returning without injury. In December 2010 Maskey criticised other political parties in Northern Ireland for seeking to keep the details of people who funded them confidential; he said that "justifiable public cynicism is generated when it is perceived that political parties are not being open about their financial affairs." He was re-elected in 2011, topping the poll with 5,343 first preference votes. He was again named as Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee in the new mandate.
constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, which had been left vacant when Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams
resigned to fight for a seat in Dáil Éireann
. He was immediately supported by Gerry Kelly
MLA. and as the only nomination for the vacancy, was selected on 19 May. At the by-election
on 9 June, Maskey was elected with over 70% of the vote; he said that he had received votes from all parts of the constituency including the Shankill Road and said that he hoped to hold a constituency surgery there.
500 for a breach of the peace and failing to obey police orders. Maskey explained he had intervened when a security man dealt heavy-handedly with a woman who had broken a window, but the Judge accepted the evidence of Gardaí
that Maskey and a fellow councillor had called them "Free State scumbags". Maskey is the brother of Sinn Féin MLA Alex Maskey
.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
who is a member of Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
. He has been a Sinn Féin member (MLA) of the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive...
for Belfast West
Belfast West (Assembly constituency)
Belfast West is a constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly.The seat was first used for a Northern Ireland-only election for the Northern Ireland Assembly, 1973...
since 2007, and was elected in June 2011
Belfast West by-election, 2011
The Belfast West by-election, 2011 was a by-election for the United Kingdom constituency of Belfast West following the resignation of the constituency's Member of Parliament, Gerry Adams...
as Member of Parliament (MP) for the Westminster constituency of Belfast West
Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency)
Belfast West is a parliamentary constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.-Boundaries:The seat was restored in 1922 when as part of the establishment of the devolved Stormont Parliament for Northern Ireland, the number of MPs in the Westminster Parliament was drastically cut...
, but in line with Sinn Féin's policy of abstentionism
Abstentionism
Abstentionism is standing for election to a deliberative assembly while refusing to take up any seats won or otherwise participate in the assembly's business. Abstentionism differs from an election boycott in that abstentionists participate in the election itself...
he has not taken his seat.
Tourism
Maskey has been employed by Fáilte Feirste Thiar ('Welcome to West Belfast'), an agency promoting tourism into that part of the city. As development co-ordinator in 2004 he helped launch an initiative under which 120 local businesses agreed to accept the EuroEuro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
, in order to help encourage visitors from across the border and elsewhere in the Eurozone. In December 2005, as chair of the West Belfast Partnership, he linked up with Shankill Tourism to set up an Arts and Heritage trail which included both the Shankill Road and Falls Road areas. He welcomed publication of a tourist map of Belfast in 2006 which included a Gaeltacht Quarter
Gaeltacht Quarter, Belfast
The Gaeltacht Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is an area surrounding the Falls Road in the west of the city. A Gaeltacht is an area where the Irish language is widely spoken. The area aims to promote the Irish language and provide tourist attractions associated with it, as well as Irish...
in west Belfast, and in 2008 the group published a map and guide to all gable end mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s in the west of Belfast. When he was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly, Maskey became unpaid chair of Fáilte Feirste Thiar.
Belfast City Council
At the local electionsNorthern Ireland local elections, 2001
Elections for local government were held in Northern Ireland on 7 June 2001 along with the 2001 general election across the entire United Kingdom.-Overall:-Belfast:-References:...
of 7 June 2001, Maskey was elected as a Sinn Féin councillor for the Upper Falls electoral area on Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council is the local authority with responsibility for the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of , the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while also being the fourth smallest by area...
, topping the poll on first preferences. He became chairman of the Belfast Waterfront Hall
Waterfront Hall
The Waterfront Hall is a multi-purpose facility, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, designed by local architects' firm Robinson McIlwaine. Practice partner Peter McGukin was the project architect....
Board, helping to guide the venue to be ranked as the best congress centre in the UK and the fifth best in the World at the final of the Apex Award 2004 - World's Best Congress Centre awards, organised by the International Association of Congress Centres.
He was also chairman of the Client Services committee of Belfast City Council. but in January 2005 he could not win committee or council support for a proposal costing £175,000 to convert the minor hall used by the Group Theatre at the Ulster Hall
Ulster Hall
The Ulster Hall is a concert hall and grade B1 listed building in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Situated on Bedford Street in Belfast city centre, the hall hosts concerts, classical recitals, craft fairs and political party conferences...
into dual-purpose performance space during the refurbishment of the Hall. From 2005 he was leader of the Sinn Féin group on the City Council. His criticism of the rival Irish nationalist SDLP
Social Democratic and Labour Party
The Social Democratic and Labour Party is a social-democratic, Irish nationalist political party in Northern Ireland. Its basic party platform advocates Irish reunification, and the further devolution of powers while Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom...
for meeting and 'hobnobbing' with Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
at the end of 2005 was branded as "tribal clap-trap from a man who surely knows better" by Newton Emerson
Newton Emerson
Newton Emerson is a political commentator and satirist in Northern Ireland. He describes himself as a 'liberal Unionist'. Despite this, he writes in two Nationalist-leaning newspapers, the Irish edition of the Daily Mirror, and The Irish News...
in the Daily Mirror, with Emerson noting that Maskey had been "the perfect host" when they had previously met. Maskey resigned his seat on 14 September 2009.
Northern Ireland Assembly
Maskey was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in the 2007 electionsNorthern Ireland Assembly election, 2007
The third elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly were held on 7 March 2007 when 108 new members were elected. The election saw endorsement of the St Andrews Agreement and the two largest parties, the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin, along with the Alliance Party, increase their...
as part of a Sinn Féin team which won five out of the six seats in Belfast West
Belfast West (Assembly constituency)
Belfast West is a constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly.The seat was first used for a Northern Ireland-only election for the Northern Ireland Assembly, 1973...
. After a Public Accounts Committee report criticised the waste of money on a project to build a campus of the University of Ulster
University of Ulster
The University of Ulster is a multi-campus, co-educational university located in Northern Ireland. It is the largest single university in Ireland, discounting the federal National University of Ireland...
on one of the peace lines
Peace lines
The peace lines or peace walls are a series of separation barriers in Northern Ireland that separate Catholic and Protestant neighbourhoods. They have been built at urban interface areas in Belfast, Derry, Portadown and elsewhere...
at Springvale in north Belfast, Maskey placed the blame on the SDLP Minister Carmel Hanna
Carmel Hanna
Carmel Hanna MLA is a Northern Irish politician. She is a member of the SDLP and was MLA for South Belfast from 1998 to 2010.-Early life and nursing career:...
. He became chairman of the committee in May 2008. In July 2009 he supported a committee investigation into the £33m paid annually in legal fees and compensation to people claiming for tripping on pavements.
Under Maskey's chairmanship the committee held a detailed scrutiny of Northern Ireland Water in 2010, after it awarded 70 contracts without competition. Maskey denounced the situation as "absolutely staggering" and said that he could not remember "a more serious case of complete disregard for public sector ethics." The committee held a meeting to question officers of NI Water which took three and a half hours; Maskey joked at the end that the officers would need an "articulated lorry" to send all the information requested by MLAs.
When Maskey organised a protest against a parade by Royal Irish Regiment
Royal Irish Regiment
The Royal Irish Regiment is an infantry unit of the British Army.-1992 creation:With an antecedence reaching back to 1689, the regiment was formed in 1992...
soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan in October 2008, he explained that he wanted "a peaceful, dignified protest" against the wars, but that he did want to see British forces returning without injury. In December 2010 Maskey criticised other political parties in Northern Ireland for seeking to keep the details of people who funded them confidential; he said that "justifiable public cynicism is generated when it is perceived that political parties are not being open about their financial affairs." He was re-elected in 2011, topping the poll with 5,343 first preference votes. He was again named as Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee in the new mandate.
UK Parliament
After his re-election to the Northern Ireland Assembly, Maskey announced on 12 May 2011 that he would be standing for selection as Sinn Féin candidate for the Belfast WestBelfast West (UK Parliament constituency)
Belfast West is a parliamentary constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom.-Boundaries:The seat was restored in 1922 when as part of the establishment of the devolved Stormont Parliament for Northern Ireland, the number of MPs in the Westminster Parliament was drastically cut...
constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, which had been left vacant when Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams
Gerry Adams is an Irish republican politician and Teachta Dála for the constituency of Louth. From 1983 to 1992 and from 1997 to 2011, he was an abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. He is the president of Sinn Féin, the second largest political party in Northern...
resigned to fight for a seat in Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann
Dáil Éireann is the lower house, but principal chamber, of the Oireachtas , which also includes the President of Ireland and Seanad Éireann . It is directly elected at least once in every five years under the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote...
. He was immediately supported by Gerry Kelly
Gerry Kelly
Gerard "Gerry" Kelly is an Irish republican politician and former Provisional Irish Republican Army volunteer who played a leading role in the negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement on 10 April 1998...
MLA. and as the only nomination for the vacancy, was selected on 19 May. At the by-election
Belfast West by-election, 2011
The Belfast West by-election, 2011 was a by-election for the United Kingdom constituency of Belfast West following the resignation of the constituency's Member of Parliament, Gerry Adams...
on 9 June, Maskey was elected with over 70% of the vote; he said that he had received votes from all parts of the constituency including the Shankill Road and said that he hoped to hold a constituency surgery there.
Personal life
After an incident in a Dublin kebab shop in September 2001, Maskey was fined €Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
500 for a breach of the peace and failing to obey police orders. Maskey explained he had intervened when a security man dealt heavy-handedly with a woman who had broken a window, but the Judge accepted the evidence of Gardaí
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
that Maskey and a fellow councillor had called them "Free State scumbags". Maskey is the brother of Sinn Féin MLA Alex Maskey
Alex Maskey
Alex Maskey is an Irish politician who was the first member of Sinn Féin to serve as Belfast's Lord Mayor. He is Sinn Féin's longest sitting councillor and is currently an MLA for South Belfast as well as being a councillor for the Laganbank area of Belfast.-Early life:Maskey was educated at St...
.