Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“Today I used to opportunity of Oral Questions to the Agriculture Minister to highlight the squander of Rural Development Fund money on the GAA. The EU’s Rural Development Fund, overseen by DARD, is supposed to exist to assist with rural projects for the benefit of the whole rural community. Yet, the minister confirmed over £3m of this scarce funding has been gifted to the GAA.
“At a time when farmers are under pressure due to falling prices it is astounding that millions of pounds from the fund continues to the lavished on the GAA. Sometime ago I exposed the fact that £744,656 from these limited funds were gifted to the richest GAA clubs in Northern Ireland, Tyrone GAA. £500,000 is to go on “a floodlit 3G multi-activity facility” and £250,000 on “an environmental and heritage project”, while rural communities and associations across Tyrone and elsewhere struggle to make ends meet.
“This is a scandalous misuse of Rural Development funding which does nothing for the rural community. It must also be remembered that through modulation much of this funding comes from the pockets of active farmers, but instead of being returned to meet frontline farming needs it is being siphoned off to bodies such as the GAA.
“While the Minister pretends that the GAA works with all sections of the community its avowedly Republican ethos means that it will never be regarded as an inclusive and non-secterian organisation.
“I note that once the subject was raised nationalist and republican MLAs intervened to defend this squander, but not a single DUP saw fit to get up and denounce this abuse of funding. Tom Elliott was the only other unionist to make a contribution.”