An SDLP assembly member last night (Thursday) defended his claim that 2,000 Cath-olics had left three Co Antrim towns in the last five years.
The SDLP's Danny O'Connor, right, was speaking after Antrim Borough Council contested his claim that 1,400 people had left the town following sectarian intimidation.
But council spokeswoman Maureen Armstrong said the figures were "grossly misleading".
"Housing Executive figures show that in the five year period (from) April 1998 to date, a total of 189 households have received intimidation status for rehousing purposes in the Antrim district."
She said another 45 home owners had applied to the Housing Executive to buy their homes over a three-year period because of intimidation threats.
"Danny O'Connor has misrepresented diocesan figures, which record general information on schools, churches, masses, number of parishoners," Ms Armstrong added.
"The figures merely reflect a movement of population, which could be accounted for by a drop in the birth rate, people moving because of job changes or simply moving from one part of the borough to another."
Ms Armstrong said Antrim council was pro-active in tackling the issue of intimidation with a series of initiatives including the distribution of 15,000 anti-intimidation leaflets, the training of 10 mediators and the organisation of a conference.
But last night Mr O'Connor stood by his comments and challenged the council to a public debate on the issue.
"The Housing Executive's own figures confirm what I am saying," he said. "While I am not saying that every Catholic has been directly intimidated it is the fear factor of these attacks which has forced other Catholics to leave... If there is not a problem in Antrim why is the council distributing anti-intimidation leaflets and training mediators?
SDLP Antrim councillor Donovan McClelland said he is regularly inundated with appeals from Catholic families being intimidated.
"I myself had to move home from Antrim because of intimidation two years ago," he said.
"It starts with kerb stones being painted, then they put flags up on lamp posts and then they gather outside your home every night.
"When one or two Catholic families are intimidated from their homes other Catholic families get up and go before it happens to them," he said.
