OFMDFM stand-off robbing women and youth of funding
16 December 2008
Statement by Traditional Unionist MEP Jim Allister
“Women's Groups and youth services are being held to ransom by a stand-off in OFMDFM and, I believe, in particular by Sinn Fein, as they try to barter funding for IRA ex-prisoners in return for releasing funds to the vital sectors of women and youth.”
“The PEACE III Steering Committee, meeting at the beginning of August recommended that TWN should get £2.8 million of essential funding to keep their operations going. The same committee also approved vital funds for the youth sector under the ‘YESIP’ project back in June. However, the Steering Committee has also foolishly awarded a staggering £10M to ex-prisoners groups (£7m to IRA and £3m to 'loyalists'). Needless to say, I strenuously object to this waste of dwindling EU resources on perpetrators of terrorism.
Release of this funding ultimately requires OFMDFM approval, as the accountable Department, hence the stand-off as McGuinness uses the leverage of starving the deserving projects of funds until the First Minister agrees to fund the prisoners.”
“The rational and sensible solution is for funding to be released to the non-controversial groups, something which everyone should be able to agree. This is what I am calling for. As for the prisoners groups, on principle they should not get one penny and not just because there has not been anything awarded to genuine victims groups.”
“The manner in which deserving groups, like TWN which does marvellous work in training women back into work, are being held to ransom and starved of funds, typifies the unworkability of the office of the Joint First Ministers. It is a sad commentary indeed on their dysfunctionalism that worthy groups are denied funding unless perpetrators of terror are lavished with undeserved funding. Whereas, the deserving organisations must get their money, there is no scope here for the First Minister to blink again, as he did over policing and justice, when faced with Sinn Fein intransigence and bully boy tactics”.
“I have already raised this issue with the authorities in Brussels, but, courtesy of Sinn Fein belligerence, the stand-off continues”.
