Protestant employment share in SEUPB suffers dramatic fall
01 February 2009
Statement by TUV MEP Jim Allister
“I am appalled, but not totally surprised, to note a radical worsening in the imbalance in the staffing of the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), to the detriment of the Protestant/Unionist community.
This body handles the very sensitive issues associated with PEACE funding and time and time again its credentials have been questioned as the majority community receives less than its share of funding. To find that in the past year the Protestant compliment of the staff has fallen from 37% to 30% in just 12 months, and at a time of a 50% growth in staff numbers, is indicative of gross and systemic failure of its supposed “affirmative action programme.”
I raised these issues, again, with Mr Pat Colgan, SEUPB Chief Executive, at a meeting on 30th January 2009 and expressed my utter dissatisfaction with the regression in Protestant employment.
I firmly believe there is a direct correlation between the chill factor which SEUPB generates through its oversight of PEACE funding distribution and its inability to attract and appoint a balanced workforce.”
