First Ministers’ Euro Fantasy
31 January 2013
Responding to the comments by co-First Ministers Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness TUV leader Jim Allister said:
“The idea that the EU has made a tangible contribution to peace in Northern Ireland is utter nonsense.
“Last year in response to a question to the Minister for Finance and Personnel it was confirmed to me that terrorist prisoners’ groups have received £10,319,882 in PEACE III funding.
“Similarly, one has only to look at the project which has the largest amount of EU money earmarked for it in Northern Ireland – the IRA shrine at the Maze – to know that funding which has come from Europe is not being put to good use. Rather, it is facilitating the Provo’s pet projects with scant regard for the hurt which this will cause to countless victims of terrorism.
“Add to that the fact that a recent study showed that Northern Ireland is being massively short-changed by European grants with our taxpayers paying £1.58 for every £1 of EU regional development funds reinvested here and it’s obvious that we would be better off out of the EU club altogether.”
