Northern minister refuses to be bullied on loyalist funding
The Social Development minister tonight said she would not be bullied by Northern Executive colleagues over funding for loyalists in the North.
In a dramatic statement to the Assembly, Margaret Ritchie withdrew £1.2m (€1.72m) earmarked before devolution by Peter Hain for regeneration of deprived Protestant communities after violence involving the Ulster Defence Association.
The SDLP minister was accused of breaching her ministerial code by Finance Minister Peter Robinson, but tonight hit back at the criticism.
“I will not be bullied by Peter Robinson or anybody else,” she said. “I thought the comments were inappropriate.”
Mr Robinson forced a 20-minute adjournment of the Assembly after Ms Ritchie’s statement this afternoon.
He said: “The announcement she has made is contrary to the process set out by the (ministerial) Executive and the decision that she is announcing is not consistent with the advice offered by the departmental solicitor’s office and senior Crown counsel.
“I believe that her decision is also a breach of the ministerial code and the pledge of office.”
Ms Ritchie said she had shared legal advice on terminating the contract with Farset Community Enterprises, who administered the Conflict Transformation Initiative money, with senior Executive colleagues.
The money was agreed by former Northern Secretary Peter Hain.
Stormont Speaker William Hay said ministers and head of the civil service Nigel Hamilton had expressed concerns about the legality of the issue following Mr Robinson's intervention.
However, he added: “I am satisfied that this time there’s been no breach in the standing orders.”
A spokesman for Farset said: “Farset is continuing what action it can take to challenge the minister’s decision.”
The group added: “We are of the opinion that a more open-minded approach would have recognised the actual achievements of the CTI in its short life to date and its much greater potential over the three years.”
SDLP minister Miss Ritchie said rioting during the summer and attacks on police and other loyalists blamed on the UDA had made it impossible to continue.
“I will not be funding the UDA now or in the future,” she told MLAs at Belfast’s Assembly.
“I do not believe the CTI project can be justified any longer and I therefore propose to end it immediately.
“I can’t stand over programmes aimed at quickening the pace of decommissioning and reducing paramilitary activity when those same paramilitaries are prepared to flaunt their criminality in the face of the police and the rest of our community.
“The UDA seem intent on doing just that by the continued use of violence. Its fractious nature suggests that the organisation is simply not at this time able to meet the objectives of CTI.”
Mr Robinson, DUP MLA for east Belfast, added that he shared the minister’s desire for an end to violence.
“The whole house will agree with her sense of outrage at the activities of the UDA and I have no doubt that they will agree entirely with her in terms of the need for that organisation to catch up with the rest of this community and move forward in a peaceful and democratic fashion.”
After Mr Poots said he was willing to work with his Assembly scrutiny committee on a developing a more cost-effective Irish language strategy, the Northern Ireland Office tonight insisted the issue still rested with MLAs at Stormont.
“This is a matter for the Assembly in the first instance,” a spokesman said.
“The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure Minister has acknowledged this and has made clear that he will look to work with the Assembly’s Culture Committee and the Executive to find a way through.”
