DUP should come clean over PEACE funding - Bairbre de Brún

January 9, 2006

Sinn Féin MEP Bairbre de Brún has today reacted angrily to DUP MEP Jim
Allister's claims that there has been anti-unionist imbalance in the distribution of
EU PEACE funding.

Ms de Brún said that Sinn Féin had 'consistently called for such funding
to be allocated solely on the basis of need'.

Speaking today Ms de Brún said:

"Jim Allister obviously believes that if he shouts loudly enough people
will believe his ridiculous assertions that the unionist community is
being discriminated against through the distribution of European funding.
In recent months Mr Allister has disingenuously repeated these claims,
has attacked funding for Irish language groups and ex-prisoners groups and
has even written to Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) in the North
asking for a breakdown in the religious make-up of their workforce.

"Sinn Féin has consistently stated its position that funding must be on
the  basis of objective need, whether that project is in Taughmonagh
or Turf Lodge. Any objective analysis of PEACE funding allocation in the
past will show that there has been no discrimination.

"Mr Allister and the DUP have a choice to make. They can move on with
the rest of us and create a more sustainable society for everyone or they can
continue to bury their heads in the sand regarding the problems facing which
communities in the north. Mr Allister is continuing to mislead the unionist community with regard to PEACE funding allocation." ENDS