Having last week exposed the lavish spending under DUP control of DSD of neighbourhood renewal funding on the GAA, ex-prisoners, Irish language and LGBT groups, TUV leader Jim Allister has now obtained further figures from the DSD minister, Mervyn Storey which show the spend on the GAA has been even greater than at first appeared.
Moreover, Mr Allister has established that since the DUP took control of the ministry over £2.1m of neighbourhood renewal funding has gone to Irish language groups, but not a penny to Ulster Scots groups.
In the same period £2.6m of this funding has gone to the GAA, making it, by far, the biggest sporting beneficiary of neighbourhood renewal funding.
Commenting Jim Allister said, “Neighbourhood Renewal funding is supposed to be used to target deprivation and disadvantage in areas of high socio-economic need. However, it is now clear that on the DUP’s watch it is being squandered and that in a most disproportionate way. How can it be justified to lavish over £2.1m of this funding on Irish language groups, but not a penny provided to Ulster Scots groups. Likewise with sporting organisations, the GAA is the prime beneficiary of the department’s largesse.
“Why should taxpayers be pouring millions into the GAA, Irish language groups and LGBT activists and others in the name of tackling economic and social deprivation? They shouldn’t be and, thus, I am again calling on Mervyn Storey to call a halt to this squander and establish an investigative inquiry inside DSD into how for years, under his party’s watch, such waste has been rampant.”