Allister says Nicholson and UUP asleep on the job
04 August 2006
Following the failure of the UUP to respond to a vital SEUPB consultation on how future EU PEACE Funding should be spent, DUP MEP Jim Allister, has deplored the neglect of Cunningham House and their MEP.
STATEMENT BY JIM ALLISTER MEP:-
“One of the key issues in Northern Ireland requiring to be addressed on the EU front is the historic imbalance in funding under the PEACE Programme vis-à-vis the Unionist community. With new funding priorities now being set for 2007-13, this is a critical time to seek to influence the future distribution of funding. In this regard The Special EU Programmes Body, as Managing Authority for the current PEACE Programme and for INTERREG, was asked by the Member States to conduct a public consultation process on issues emerging from the current INTERREG Programme that could impact on the preparation of a future European Territorial Cooperation Programme and on the future of the PEACE Programme.
Naturally, having campaigned persistently for equity of treatment for the majority community, I and my party made detailed submissions on all the key issues. I am appalled to discover, from the SEUPB website, that whereas Sinn Fein predictably peddled demands for more focus on ex-prisoners and the Irish language, neither UUP MEP Jim Nicholson, nor his Party, troubled themselves to respond at all to this vital consultation. They have let Northern Ireland down.
So much more could be attained if we had two effective MEPs pulling their weight in Brussels on behalf of the unionist community in particular and Northern Ireland in general. There can be no excuse for the Ulster Unionists falling asleep on the job. The electorate are entitled to know why Jim Nicholson let them down.
On the back of the 80 submissions received SEUPB will now prepare the draft operational programmes – one for cross-border Territorial Cooperation and one for PEACE – these will be published for consultation in the autumn of this year. Both operational programmes will contain proposed programme priorities, associated actions and details on implementing provisions drawn from the views submitted by the stakeholders.”
