Mid Ulster Sinn Féin

03/02/2026

Continued wet weather is certainly not helping the condition of the roads. Potholes are an increasing problem and a regular cause of complaint.

All our elected reps are happy to assist in reporting problems with the roads but anyone can report a fault, a pothole, flooding etc online:

Street lighting, potholes, spillages, obstructions, drains, road signs, grass cutting and manholes

15/01/2026

Mid Ulster Play-Park Strategy

Sinn Féin councillors met with officials from Mid Ulster District Council and representatives from Outscape this week to review the soon to be completed Play Park Strategy and to discuss a framework for the future.

Since work commenced the Council has made an investment of £3.5 million in carrying out upgrade works to modernise and improve accessibility at 52 sites across the district and a further four new play parks have also been developed.

Speaking on behalf of the Sinn Féin group Councillor Niall McAleer said, "Continued investment in our existing play parks and identifying opportunities for new areas for young people to play will continue to be a key focus for Sinn Féin in our objective of delivery for local communities."

07/01/2026

IMPORTANT IRISH PASSPORT ADVICE

As of December 2025, the Passport Office in Dublin have changed the process of applying for a new passport via the ‘paper’ method.

You now must:
📞 Call the Passport Assist Service on 00353 1613 1795

📄The Passport Office team will generate a bespoke paper application form with your details pre-filled and post it to you for signing and witnessing (if necessary)

🔍You check the details on the application form, gather your supporting documents and passport photos and bring them to your local post office.

✉️Your post office will then take the payment and submit your application using the Passport postal service.

05/01/2026

As teams continue their search around Cookstown for Taylor Stewart we urge everyone to do a check of their own property including sheds etc, if you have a camera type doorbell please check over it and report any sighting of Taylor to police. Our thoughts are with his family at this very difficult time.

A WATER rescue team has joined in the search for a missing Cookstown man. Lough Neagh Rescue yesterday announced their ‘Swift Water Rescue Team’ had been deployed to scour Cookstown’s waterways and areas of challenging, uneven terrain for 21-year-old Taylor Stewart, who has been missing since ...

27/11/2025

Kelly welcomes £160,000 resurfacing scheme for Halfgayne Road, Sleacht Néill
Sinn Féin Councillor in Carntogher, Paddy Kelly, has expressed his thanks to party colleague, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins, following her announcement that a £160,000 resurfacing scheme on Halfgayne Road, Sleacht Néill will commence on Monday 1 December 2025.

Cllr Kelly commented 'I have been raising the concerns of local residents about the state of the Halfgayne Road for some time, and had lobbied the Infrastructure minister to prioritise this work.

'Local landowners and neighbours have rightly brought their complaints to me about the state of the road, with an uneven road surface causing danger and damage for all that have to use it.

'Obviously, finances are tight, and our rural roads right across the north are in a state of disrepair, something that I know the minister is keen to make progress on.

'I'd spoken with her and her team about this road for a number of months, and I am delighted that this vital work is set to take place next week. This is significant investment in this area, and I hope we will all see the long term benefits after a few weeks of short term pain whilst diversions are in place to allow the work to proceed.'

The resurfacing scheme will extend from Corlackey Road junction for 1.25 kilometres towards Drumbane Road. The scheme will also include resurfacing of the Halfgayne Road / Drumbane Road junction.

To facilitate the safe delivery of the scheme it will be necessary to implement a road closure, from Corlackey Road to Drumbane Road junctions, between the hours of 7.30am and 5.30pm from Monday 1 December until Friday 19 December.

During these times, signed diversionary routes will be in place via Corlackey Road, Knockoneill Road, Drumbane Road and vice versa.

The Department has programmed the work operations and traffic management arrangements to minimise inconvenience. However, while steps have been taken to accommodate local access throughout the scheme, road users should expect some delays and are advised to allow additional time when travelling in the vicinity of the works and are asked to comply with all temporary traffic restrictions.

Subject to favourable weather conditions, the works will be substantially complete by Friday 19 December 2025, however the Department will keep the public informed of any change.

20/11/2025

Sinn Féin representatives visit Ramallah, Palestine

Sinn Féin representatives, Emma Sheerin MLA and Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire TD, have visited Ramallah, Palestine to attend the Ramallah Congress on the Decolonisation of Palestine.

Organised by Progressive International, the Ramallah Congress brought together international political representatives, diplomats, journalists and lawyers to understand the everyday lived reality endured by Palestinians under Israel's illegal occupation.

The Sinn Féin representatives met with the victims of settler violence, economic exploitation, land confiscation, and gained a greater understanding of Israel's systems of occupation, apartheid, and detention.

Reflecting on the visit, Emma Sheerin MLA said:

“There is nothing normal about Israel's systems of apartheid that determines the value of life by ethnic identity.

“Ramallah is a place where you must go through multiple border checkpoints simply to go to work, all the while Palestinians live in fear of leaving in case they are unable to return.

“I will carry their stories of the lived experience under oppression forever with me, none more so than meeting a group of young people who told us how planting crops is an act of resistance in response to Israeli settlement expansion.”

Sinn Féin Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence Spokesperson, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire TD also commented:

“The situation on the ground remains very serious, and the reality is for all the talk of a ceasefire, hundreds of people have been killed in Gaza, and many attacks on Palestinian farmers by settlers in the west bank in recent weeks.

“It is time for the international solidarity campaign to become more strategically focused and united in bringing an end to Israel’s systems of oppression. In Ireland, that means the Occupied Territories Bill, it means pushing suspension of EU Israel Trade agreement and more.

“It is vitally important that the eyes of the world do not come off Palestine. We have a profound humanitarian situation, the flow of aid is not remotely adequate, many people face hunger, and we now have severe flooding.

“But on top of this, we need a political solution - there are major issues with the current proposals. A long-term political solution will not be served by Western Government appointees administering Gaza, it needs to be the Palestinians who govern Palestine, they have a right to self determination.”

12/11/2025

Mid Ulster District Council, Economic Development, Tourism & Strategic Programmes Department, were successful in obtaining funding from Department for Communities to develop and produce a Place Shaping Plan for Cookstown (2025-2040). The aim of the Place Shaping Plan is to improve the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of Cookstown. Studio idir (Aisling Rusk) and Starling Start (Amberlee Neely) have been appointed to develop and produce the Plan.

The first round of engagement on Cookstown Place Shaping Plan, which involved extensive research and consultation with the people who live, work, invest and visit Cookstown has now been concluded and we are now completing second stage of engagement. This round of engagement is to share what we have heard and provide an opportunity for all to review and have your say on the themes and proposals to be included in Cookstown Place Shaping Plan.

The themes and proposals identified for Cookstown Place Shaping Plan can be viewed by clicking on the following link https://www.midulstercouncil.org/business/investment-and-regeneration/urban-regeneration/cookstown-place-shaping-plan

You can share your feedback by:-

Attending a Drop In Session:- at the at the following locations to discuss the themes and proposals in person and obtain feedback

Monday 17 November 2025 – 10:00am-4:00pm- The Studio,

Burnavon Arts & Cultural Centre, Burn Road Cookstown

Friday 21 November 2025 – 2.00pm-5.00pm- Former Blacks Shoe Shop, William Street, Cookstown

Friday 21 November 2025 – 6.00pm-8.00pm- Cookstown Christmas Lights Switch On – Marquee located outside Tom Morrows, William Street, Cookstown

Completing a short online survey. The survey is currently open and will close at 5pm on Monday, 9 February 2026. Please find link below:-https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CookstownPlaceShaping
The survey will take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete.

Mary McCullagh
Regeneration Manager
Tel: 03000 132 132

Help shape the future of Cookstown

23/10/2025

The Department for Infrastructure has extended the public consultation on the A29 Cookstown Bypass until Monday, November 10 at 5pm.
This is a vital opportunity for our community to shape the future of Cookstown and Mid Ulster - reducing congestion, improving safety, and unlocking social value like jobs, apprenticeships, and wellbeing initiatives.
Have your say here:
infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/consultations/a29-cookstown-bypass-social-value

30/09/2025

https://sinnfein.ie/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/UNITYNEWS_SEPT2025FINAL.pdf

14/08/2025

Please share far and wide, everyone welcome to the launch of this book about our former MP 💚