The Andersonstown News Group has lodged a landmark official complaint with the Equality Commission to challenge the government ban on advertisements from Daily Ireland.
Group managing director Máirtín Ó Muilleoir said: "The ban on advertising, which comes in the wake of a concerted unionist campaign against Daily Ireland, is contrary to the legal obligation on government to behave fairly in the provision of goods and services. Daily Ireland is unable to obtain set criteria for advertising or a set policy in this regard. It is unable to tender for the contract to carry government ads because, contrary to the law, there is no tender process."
Jobs will have to go by 1 July if the ban isn't lifted.
"It is no coincidence that the current practices discriminate against a newspaper which is based in West Belfast and reflects a strong nationalist point of view. There are four local newspaper groups with daily newspapers. Three get ads, one doesn't. If four people are seeking three jobs in the civil service, equality law says that the government can't always give the jobs to the people it favours. That would be illegal. Similarly with four newspaper groups seeking 'goods and services' from government, it can't simply give those goods and services to the newspapers it favours. That is also illegal.
"The Andersonstown News Group has fought discrimination and political vetting for over 20 years and overcame a similar ban on advertising during that period by Belfast City Council. We are confident of the future of Daily Ireland — a first-class product produced by an excellent team and already enjoying sales in the five figures as will be shown in our first ABC audited return in mid-May— and are determined to overcome every hurdle placed in our way.
"In face of the government ban, we are forced to restructure our operation. We're proud of what our group has done to create employment in West Belfast and intend to make every effort to keep job losses to a minimum."
