By Paul McGill from NICVA
Published on 17 Oct 2007
Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie has announced the immediate ending of funding for the Conflict Transformation Initiative (CTI) in light of continuing UDA violence.
In a statement to the Assembly she noted that the funding of more than £1 million, announced by previous Direct Rule Ministers, was always contingent on ‘good faith’.
"In my view, this initiative was risk-prone from the very start, as it appears that the political will never existed in the direct rule Administration to see through the implementation of penalties, even if the UDA defaulted through continued involvement with criminality, violence and paramilitarism.
"Every Member of this House is aware of the circumstances that led to my announcement on 10 August 2007, and, in particular, the assessment of the Chief Constable, following the violent incidents in Carrickfergus and Bangor, who said that he would not give the UDA 50p if the violence that we witnessed was an example of the return on our investment."
The Minister said she had consulted widely, met General John de Chastelain and considered the legal opinion of senior counsel, both in-house and externally, on the aims of the CTI programme and the Department’s obligations to the various parties.
No community will be disadvantaged
The Minister continued:
"I do not believe that the CTI project can be justified any longer, and I propose to end it immediately. Furthermore, at a time when budgets are keenly contested and numerous groups are having their applications for relatively minor sums turned down, I cannot continue to justify the funding of a programme that is unable to deliver.
I pledge that no community will be left behind or disadvantaged, and I will talk to elected representatives and others in the target areas to consider how to achieve that objective together."
Confidence in Farset
Mrs Ritchie put on record her confidence in the Farset organisation as a managing agent for the CTI programme.
"It is important, at this stage, for Members to understand the distinction between the role of Farset Community Enterprises as a managing agent and the return expected from those at whom the initiative was specifically targeted through the actual programme."
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