John Toner
Today at 10:00
Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council is refusing to say who will receive more than £145,000 of public money for Eleventh Night celebrations.
During this year’s July bonfire festivities, £145,500 of ratepayers’ money in Antrim and Newtownabbey will be spent without full transparency as to who exactly will be given the cash.
Sunday Life understands at least one representative for a bonfire on the Rathcoole estate is convicted shoplifter and UDA cheerleader Andy Tyrie Jnr who was jailed for stealing power tools from B&Q earlier this year.
When this information was put to Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, they declined to comment.
This newspaper subsequently submitted a Freedom of Information request to the council for a breakdown of the 23 community groups who are each in line to receive £3,500 under the council’s bonfire management programme, as well as their named representatives.
While divulging the full list of community groups, the council refused to identify the named individuals — of which there are at least two for each group — who are eligible for the money on the basis this would be “third party personal information”.
Sinn Féin councillor Anne Marie Logue said accountability for public money should be a priority, as should preventing hate crimes and damage to the environment.
She said: “The monitoring of bonfires and associated public funding is an ongoing concern. There should always be transparency when it comes to public funding.
“The bonfire management approach at council has made a positive difference in some areas, however there is still work to do in relation to environmental and hate crime concerns.
In March councillors approved this year’s bonfire management programme funding package.
A report presented to the council’s Community Planning Committee said the aim of the programme is to “bring about improvements in bonfire management, particularly in terms of inclusivity, safety and increased family atmosphere” and to “further reduce the adverse health and environmental impacts of bonfires, including the illegal disposal of waste”.
The initiative was said to involve a number of site inspections carried out in the run-up to the Eleventh Night in July by agencies including the NI Fire and Rescue Service, Housing Executive, PSNI and council.
The first of these was due to be carried out by the council and take place in mid-May, with a further three inspections to take place in the run-up to mid-July.
Members were advised there would be £80,500 available for “family fun events” and £65,000 for “beacons, maintenance and repairs to designated sites”.
A previous council committee meeting also heard the Housing Executive had indicated it would provide £30,000 of funding towards the cost of the programme. According to previous reports, two representatives from each site were invited to attend a four-week course in events management.
Speaking at the March meeting where funding was approved, Sinn Féin councillor Taylor McGrann said there was an effigy of himself on a bonfire in Rathcoole last year.
DUP councillor Matthew Brady said in response: “None of us within this chamber would support that. It is just disgusting behaviour. That bonfire was not on our programme.
“As someone who grew up in a loyalist estate, this programme works and has been working over the years. Previously we would have had them (bonfires) on every street corner with flags and effigies.
“This programme is fantastic and it works. It is the fun days that are funded.”
Antrim and Newtownabbey Mayor Mark Cooper told the meeting: “A lot of work has been done over many years on this. I totally do not agree with anybody’s poster, anybody’s effigy or anything like that going on to these sites.
“It is totally unacceptable. We do not want it in our areas. A very small minority of people do this but we have to reflect back to the society we are coming from.”
Mr Cooper added there are protocols for the bonfires involved in the council programme, before adding: “We do not fund bonfires. That is the clear message every year.”
He continued: “I think I went to 21 on the same day. It was great to see so many people out enjoying themselves, from all backgrounds and a lot of ethnic minorities.”
The council report says its long-term aims are to “reduce the use of flags, images and effigies, tackle sectarianism, racism, homophobia and other forms of prejudice and promote wider cultural links in the borough”.
by Browns_right_foot
7 comments
You would almost think the council wasn’t in debt.
culturally appropriated power tools surely?
Antrim and Newtownabbey council?
We can pay good money to burn stuff but can’t get Casement built.
I would be shocked, SHOCKED, to find out it’s going to Loyalist Paramilitaries and associated scrotes.
Global climate & local environment is screwed. Do these people not have kids and worry what state they’re leaving the place in for them. Anyone burning stuff should be fined not handed free money.
Perhaps those in ANBC should considering making an appropriate deduction from their rates bills in respect of this.