Delegates say rename Merrion Road after Bobby Sands

Sinn Féin delegates last night demanded that Merrion Road, the street on which the British embassy is located, be renamed Bobby Sands Avenue after the dead IRA hunger striker.

The motion, which was passed unanimously, was moved by the Peter Corrigan Cumann from Armagh.

John Crowley, representing the cumann, said the State was criss-crossed and peppered with names of British dignitaries and military killers of Irish people.

"Let us begin to redress the balance by naming a major throughfare in this city after one of the greatest Irish people whoever lived, an inspirational icon from a Republican revolutionary movement."

To loud applause, Mr Crowley referred to the decision by the Iranian authorities in 1981 to rename the street on which the British Embassy was based as Bobby Sands Street.

"What is good enough for Tehran should be good enough for Dublin," he said.

During a debate on political affairs, Wexford delegate Sheila Mhic Réamoinn argued against actively promoting the national anthem as symbol of unity for all the people on the island.

She asked how they could ever ask unionists to accept the national anthem as the symbol of the unity of people.

She added that she was as proud as anybody to sing it, "but I can't see Ian Paisley doing it".

Dublin Mid-West general election candidate Joanne Spain said the party was proposing that maternity leave be progressively extended to a year with pay.

There would also be four weeks paid paternity leave.

She also said that the party was proposing the harmonisation of annual holidays and an increase in statutory minimum annual leave entitlements, excluding public holidays, to 25 days.

Dublin South-East general election candidate Daithí Doolin accused employers of "literally getting away with murder" in the workplace.

"People's lives are put under threat by the irresponsible behaviour of employers. Yet, there are little consequences for this behaviour.

"In 2005, 88 people lost their lives in work-related accidents on this island, but only 40 employers were prosecuted with fines totalling less than €500,000 being imposed in the State."

He added that this was a tragic reality Sinn Féin was committed to changing.

"Our policy document clearly states that we believe that everyone has the right to work in conditions that are not harmful to health and well-being," said Mr Doolin.