An expensive zero sum game..
Entirely unconnected to the preview post on the earlier announcement of the three year arts funding programme *ahem* and also unconnected to the response to the announced funding for OrangeFest.. *ahem* again. Secretary of State for Wales and Northern Ireland, Peter Hain has announced a review of the funding for some community festivals:
“To date three of the festivals have been reviewed – Féile an Phobail West Belfast, Ardoyne Fleadh Cheoíl and, Greater New Lodge Festival, and they are to receive offers of additional transitional funding of up to £100,000, £20,000 and £25,400 respectively.”
From the NIO statement:
The Secretary of State said: “The Northern Ireland Events Company has been inundated with requests for funding from established and new festivals with the result that the first two of three £150,000 tranches have been vastly oversubscribed resulting in difficult decisions in the allocation of funds available.
“In the case of a small number of community festivals awarded transitional funding in previous years the decrease in funding this year was of a scale likely to undermine the range of community benefits in their respective areas at a particularly sensitive time.
“In view of this Government decided that a short review should be undertaken to consider whether any further transitional funding should be made available in 2006 for the purpose of enabling these festivals more time to secure alternative sources of future funding.
“To date three of the festivals have been reviewed – Féile an Phobail West Belfast, Ardoyne Fleadh Cheoíl and, Greater New Lodge Festival, and they are to receive offers of additional transitional funding of up to £100,000, £20,000 and £25,400 respectively.”
Will Gerry Adams be complaining to the Equality Commission about this curious decision-making process?
Well according to your logic this a victory for Nationalist politcians successfully lobbying the NIO, so i assume the complaint your refering too is part of that. I however, stand by original comments.
Also Pete – less expensive when you consider the August Nationalist festivals bring into the city. It’s a common sense move to give transitional funding.
kensei
The expense reference relates to the overall cost of the zero sum game.
But I did think about using this quote from the NIO statement which attempts to excuse the change of mind on funding:
Could this be the first case of robbing Peter to pay Cheoíl?