TUV exposes discriminatory funding from OFMDFM on victims

16 March 2011

OFMDFM allocations to victims discriminatory

TUV Leader Jim Allister has expressed dismay at the allocations by OFMDFM of funds for victims and survivors under the Strategic Support Fund. The TUV Leader has come into possession of the official figures for allocations made to groups for 18 month period from October 2010 to March 2012. These show a grave disparity in favour of republican orientated groups and multiple rejections of applications by groups from the unionist tradition.

Of the £6.5m allocated some huge grants went to notable republican campaigning groups, including £982,282.51 to Relatives for Justice, and money to the Pat Finucane Centre and several counseling services based in West Belfast. In contrast, FAIR, USCA and neutral groups like Nexus, who help victims of sexual abuse, were all refused funding.

Commenting Jim Allister said:-

“OFMDFM like to tell us how much they do for victims, but, as these figures show, when it comes to hard cash they blatantly favour non-unionist groups. What we see here is the Sinn Fein agenda in action, utterly unfettered by their partners, the DUP. At the same time we have an OFMDFM witch-hunt against a group like FAIR, with their funding frozen while those from a republican background are showered with cash.

TUV Newry & Armagh candidate and victims campaigner, Barrie Halliday, added:-

“The anti-unionist agenda in OFMDFM is out of control. Both under PEACE III funding, because OFMDFM approved ex-prisoners as a special target group, and under their own funding through this Strategic Support Fund, this anti-unionist agenda is being played out. As for innocent victims they are not just forgotten but in truth have become an embarrassment to the Sinn Fein/DUP venture.”

NI politics