Despite nationalist areas of Lisburn still ranking as the most deprived in the city, the Department of Social Development [DSD] is set to invest vast sums of cash in exclusively unionist areas, it has been revealed.
The Community Convention and Development Company established by the DSD is currently inviting applications from Protestant/unionist/loyalist areas within Lisburn that would benefit from a cash injection from the agency, despite a British government report confirming that nationalist areas of Lisburn top the poll as the most deprived and are severely lacking in services and investment.
The DSD decision has so incensed a local councillor that he's branded it a "form of economic apartheid".
Councillor Paul Butler is outraged by the news and has called the DSD move "outrageously discriminatory."
Cllr Butler said, "What is so galling is that the British government's own research into deprivation, published earlier this year, once again confirmed that nationalists are to the top in the rankings of those characterised as being the most deprived across the North.
"Yet, in spite of this, the British government have concocted a ruse in the form of these Community Conventions to siphon public expenditure disproportionately into unionist areas in direct response to the bigoted demands of some unionist politicians," he said.
The Community Convention and Development Company claims its main objective is to "Develop, empower and transform disadvantaged Protestant/unionist/loyalist communities."
Cllr Butler said tackling deprivation and empowering communities should not be restricted to unionist areas alone.
"This is a scandalous situation which requires immediate attention by the British government. This form of economic apartheid must end."
A spokesperson for the DSD said, "The purpose of the Community Convention and Development Company is the development, at a local level, of skills and leadership to help local communities become more confident and to recognise the many opportunities open to them in making a practical difference and improvements in their communities.
"This pilot programme is about assisting communities to function more effectively; it is not about allocating additional resources to communities and no commitment has been given towards any additional financial investment. It began as an initiative in response to a proposal from elected community leaders in Protestant working class communities and reflected the positive community impact of the Shankill Community Convention held in May 2003."
