SF hits out at funding distribution

Northern Ireland’s Equality Commission was today urged to probe claims that a British government department squandered almost £55m (€77m) in European Union funds for disadvantaged communities affected by the Troubles.

In a scathing attack on the allocation of peace and reconciliation funds by the Department of Social Development, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams claimed some nationalist communities had been “discriminated against” and its distribution was “a shambles”.

While he welcomed funding for communities in the Clonard and Springfield Road areas, Mr Adams asked why no funding was made available to other deprived neighbourhoods in west Belfast like Twinbrook, Andersonstown and parts of the Falls Road.

“I am greatly concerned as to how this fund has been managed and distributed by the Department of Social Development,” the West Belfast MP told an event at Springvale Training Centre.

“The fund of £12m (€16.9m) was to target the most disadvantaged communities and to redress the legacy of the conflict.

“While some communities have benefited from the fund, Sinn Féin believes the design of the fund discriminated against the nationalist community and the administration by the Department has been a shambles.

“The Department developed a very narrow definition of the conflict. It ignores the role of the state and fails to identify those areas which have suffered most from the conflict.

“The criteria for funding was reduced to focus in on areas with interfaces and at the cost of areas of higher social disadvantage.

“We are entitled to ask where is the funding for the Upper Springfield, Twinbrook, Poleglass, Andersonstown and large sections of the Falls?”

During a visit to the West Belfast Festival last night, Democratic Unionist MP Gregory Campbell noted nationalists received 56% of European peace funding and argued this disproved their claims that they were worse off than unionists.

However Mr Adams said nationalists made up 70% to 80% of disadvantaged communities and should have received a bigger slice of the funds.