Council group to probe ‘unionist discrimination’

Council group to probe ‘unionist discrimination’

13 June 2018

NEWRY, Mourne and Down Council is to set up a working group to investigate claims that unionists are not getting their fair share of local authority funding.

The moves comes after the DUP’s Glyn Hanna accused the organisation of failing to fulfil its equality and good relations duties in its policy development and funding programmes to support cultural expression across the unionist community.

At a meeting of the council last week he urged the local authority to commission an independent review of its support for Britishness and associated cultural expression in the council area and draw up an action plan to address the issue.

However, Cllr Hanna subsequently accepted an SDLP amendment that the council acknowledged the need to ensure that all minority communities — including unionists — felt that their culture, traditions and identity were fully respected and celebrated and that a fair share of funding was allocated to support all cultural expressions across the district.

The SDLP also proposed that the council set up a working group which would report to the Good Relations and Audit Committees to address concerns of minority communities and report back to the full council with recommendations on any need to enhance opportunities of cultural expression for minorities across the district

Tabling his original motion, Cllr Hanna suggested it was a way forward to create “equality and respect for all citizens in the council area.”

He continued: “The people in the community I come from feels that this council does not really represent them. When it comes to funding, the only money for any identity in this council is Irish. The only money that is embedded in council funds is towards Irish.

“I am delighted with the SDLP amendment tabled by Cllr Michael Savage which shows there is some empathy within the nationalist community towards the unionist community. Choosing to fund one language and its events over another is an equality issue. All we are asking for is fairness and a fair slice of the cake.”

Cllr Hanna also claimed that Sinn Fein had no understanding of how people in the unionist community across the district felt.

Cllr Savage said his party believed the picture painted by Cllr Hanna was not a true reflection of the situation in the area.

“I appreciate the sentiment of what Cllr Hanna is advocating, but cannot support the wording of the original motion as it makes accusations relating to this council which my party do not believe to be a true reflection of how the organisation operates,” he added.

Cllr David Taylor (UUP) said his party supported the original motion and the amendment. He said the issue highlighted by Cllr Hanna was one which unionist colleagues had been raising with council officers over a period of time and felt there was a lack of desire and passion to address.

He added: “We feel that we don’t get the recognition of our culture and it is important unionists feel they are respected and wanted within this council area.”

Sinn Fein’s Willie Clarke said continual claims that the unionist community was being discriminated against were unhelpful and agreed a working group to engage with with ethnic minorities as well as minority groupings was a good thing. 

“If people have genuine concerns then, as a major party, there is an onus on us to listen to those concerns and see if there are issues and stumbling blocks and be able to assist them in relation to funding,” he said.

“Grants and funds are open to all groups and allocating money is an equal process. There are also a number of  groups on the nationalist side that have not received funding either.

“There is no discrimination in this council against any grouping and Sinn Fein will not support anything which discriminates against anyone.”

Alliance’s Andrew McMurray suggested that “simply attributing more money to one side or the other” may not remedy the situation and was conscious that local communities existed “cheek by jowl”, which could only happen with the shelter afforded to them by one another.

Independent councillor Henry Reilly described the DUP motion as “timely” as the unionist community in the council area had been “neglected,” while another of the local authority’s Independent members, Davy Hyland, said claims that the council was being discriminatory “were not backed up with any proof.”