Equality rules not followed in language funds cut

A Dup-led Stormont department failed to follow equality rules when it cut funding to an Irish language scheme and poured money into a programme that helped Orange halls, a watchdog has found.

The Equality Commission said the Department for Communities – under minister Paul Givan – did not apply correct procedures on “screening and equality impact assessment”.

A spokesman added: “In respect of the Liofa Gaeltacht Bursary Scheme the investigation found that when Department officials made a submission to the minister in December 2016 for a decision on the options presented, no equality assessment information was included for the minister’s consideration.

“In respect of the Community Halls Pilot Programme, the department acknowledged that it did not undertake equality screening before the launch of the programme in October 2016. It stated that this was due to an administrative error.”

APPALLING

Sinn Féin MLA Declan Kearney blasted the “notorious decisions within a Dup-controlled department that contributed to the collapse of the powersharing institutions”.

He added: “The scrapping of the Liofa bursary for disadvantaged children, signed off with a ‘Happy Christmas’ message, was an appalling decision that was widely seen within the nationalist community as a blatant sectarian and cynical act.

“Similarly, the distribution of Community Halls funding raised widespread public concern, given that the vast majority of the beneficiaries were from the unionist tradition.

“They clearly showed an appalling disregard for the equality provisions which all departments are legally obliged to follow.”

MINISTER Paul Givan