Statement by TUV Benbradagh councillor Boyd Douglas:
“This week the Education Minister opened a new Irish language primary school in Dungiven.
“On Wednesday he announced that an Irish-medium post-primary college would open in the village as well.
“These developments have been met with incredulity by people across the Unionist community in the area, particularly those who are familiar with the on-going saga surrounding the denial of funding to Burnfoot Playgroup.
“The playgroup provides an essential service in Dungiven area and with its close proximity to the local primary is ideally placed for busy parents who can drop children at school and toddlers at the playgroup.
“Burnfoot Playgroup is used and appreciated by many parents and yet, scandalously, it receives no funding from government or any agency of government.
“Bizarrely funding have been denied three years running, in spite of lobbying from our local MP, Jim Allister and myself as a local councillor.
“This is in stark contrast to the pre-school provision for children in the Irish medium and maintained sectors in the area where every place is funded by the Education and Library Board.
“It is simply scandalous that while public money is lavished on the Irish medium sector by the Department of Education Burnfoot Playgroup has to limp along.
“Sinn Fein talk about building an “Ireland of equals” yet there is precious little evidence of equality in this case.
“I am calling upon the local Education Board to explain why Burnfoot has been left as the Cinderella of the local education scene and reverse their decision to withhold funding.
“Here we have a service which is already established and valued by the local community. It is high time that the powers that be in education officialdom placed the same value on it”.