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Controversial partnership extended to include one nationalist

SDLP councillor Declan O'Loan believes 'Mid and East Antrim Council has brought local government into disrepute'.
SDLP councillor Declan O'Loan believes 'Mid and East Antrim Council has brought local government into disrepute'. SDLP councillor Declan O'Loan believes 'Mid and East Antrim Council has brought local government into disrepute'.

A PARTNERSHIP set up to distribute European peace cash has been extended to include one nationalist.

Nationalists reacted angrily last month after it emerged that six unionists were appointed to a partnership to distribute the ‘Peace IV’ cash across the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council district.

The European Peace IV funding, which is designed to help promote peace and reconciliation, is overseen by the Special European Union Programmes Body (SEUPB).

The original six members were selected using the D’Hondt system but the panel has now be extended to include 10 councillors, including one Sinn Féin and Alliance representative.

The SDLP continues to be unrepresented on the body.

Councillor Declan O’Loan last night said the partnership was extended after the (SEUPB) refused to accept an all-unionist panel.

“I welcome the fact that SEUPB would not accept an all-unionist group on the partnership,” he said.

“The council had to back down but it did so with ill grace.

“Rather than recompose its six members fairly, it resorted to extending the council group on the partnership to ten.”

Mr O’Loan said the number of “social partners on the partnership will now have to be increased proportionately, creating a very unwieldy body".

“This kind of nonsense should not be accepted from a council, and I will put that point to SEUPB,” he said.

“Not for the first time, Mid and East Antrim Council has brought local government into disrepute."

A spokesman for the SEUPB no application for funding has been received from the council.

“Therefore the SEUPB is unable to comment on this issue,” he said.

He added that guidance has been issued pointing out that “while SEUPB cannot be prescriptive on partnership composition it is critical that representation is balanced”.