Wells stands by ‘sectarian GAA’ remarks
MLA Jim Wells has defended comments he made during a Stormont debate that the GAA was a “sectarian republican” organisation.
Mr Wells, who has had the DUP party whip removed, made the comments during a debate in the Assembly. The GAA rejected his criticism.
Defending the remarks on BBC Radio Ulster’s Nolan Show yesterday, Mr Wells referred to comments made by DUP MLA Edwin Poots while he was the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure in 2007, claiming that the GAA was a “cold house for the unionist community”.
“Here we are 16 years later and there still has been no progress made on making the GAA more inclusive to the whole community,” Mr Wells told the show. “It is 99.9% nationalist.” He added: “If soccer or rugby was entirely protestant or catholic there would be huge questions asked about why vast amounts of public money is poured into an organisation that has failed to attract people from the other side of the fence as it were.
“Similarly the GAA has done nothing in my opinion to make itself more inclusive and friendly to the Protestant community. “They haven’t moved on at all.” Mr Wells made the remarks during a debate about the Executive Committee (Functions) Bill on Monday. Critics of the bill say it will reduce areas in which ministers’ power is constrained by the Executive as a whole.
Mr Wells used the planning decision on Casement Park as an example of how a minister could go on a solo run.
Mr Wells told MLAS: “Say Sinn Fein decided to spend a vast amount of money, as it could, holding the Department for Communities, on making Casement Park even grander.
“That would cause huge concern amongst the unionist community given the sectarian and republican nature of the GAA.”
Brian Mcavoy, chief executive of Ulster GAA, speaking on Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster, said that it was “not a surprise” that Mr Wells was not the “biggest fan” of the GAA.
He said GAA volunteers had been at the fore front of the community response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“They have been delivering food parcels and delivering pharmaceuticals to our most vulnerable in our communities,” he said.
“I am quite certain we were not asking people their religion or political persuasion before we were knocking on their doors.
“On this coming Friday, in Croke Park, we have the Muslim festival of Eid taking place. Because of restricted numbers and restricted venues, they hav echos enCrokeParkt oh old this, so I think that shows that we are certainly not sectarian.”