SF control £8m fund for Irish language in North

national | rights and freedoms | other press Tuesday July 06, 2010 00:46 by eh man - none

It has come to light that Gerry Adams hand-picked the members of a committee which have oversight of the spending of £8 million on Irish language projects.

Gaelscéal, the Irish language weekly newspaper, has highlighted the remarkable powers that Sinn Féin have achieved in the new dispensation in the North. Gerry Adams, according to the report had Gearóid Ó hEára from Derry draw up a shortlist and he (Adams) made the final choice of committeeto administer the fund for capital projects involving the Irish language.
The Vice-Chair of the committee is Máirtín Ó Muilleoir and Ó hEára himself, Rosie McCorley (a prominent Belfast Shinner) and Maria Caraher (another Shinner from South Armagh) are on the boeard of seven people who have full control over the allocation of the money.
No mention is made in the report of what the NIO have to say about this but, if they're still anything like they have been down through the years, they'll have very little to say about it.
However, there are awkward questions to be answered.
For example, how will there be any transparency in the allocation of money?
What sort of selection procedure is this when a party hack like Ó hEára draws up a short list and gives it to the Party President who then appoints the board to administer the allocation of public money?
Looks like SF have nothing tolearn from Fianna Fáil on that front.