Probe into Braid cash
Thursday, 2 February 2012
The Ballymena flags controversy will be taken right to the heart of the Assembly today (Tuesday) over Arts Council support for the Borough's multi-million pound flagship building at the Braid.
North Antrim Sinn Fein MLA Daithi McKay has tabled a series of written questions to party colleague and Arts minister, Caral Ní Chuilín, over an Arts Council contribution of £2m towards the building.
Nationalists are deeply unhappy that the Union standard and portrait of the Queen continue to be displayed in the new council chamber at the Braid centre.
They have stopped short of refusing to take their seats and attended a rates setting session last week, described by one source as a 'soft opening' for the new venue.
However Sinn Fein have vowed to maintain the pressure on the issue and Mr McKay's Assembly questions are due for answer today (Tuesday).
An Arts Council spokesperson told the Guardian that representatives from the Council met senior management from Ballymena Council last week to discuss "the display of flags and emblems at The Braid complex."
The spokesperson added: "The meeting followed concerns, raised recently by some elected members, that there was an issue for the Arts Council to address regarding the terms and conditions of a grant awarded to Ballymena Council in 1999.
“The matter will be reported to the Board of the Arts Council in due course."
Council Town Clerk and chief executive, Anne Donaghy, is to brief councillors on the discussions at their monthly meeting next Monday.
Mr McKay wants to know what conditions were attached to the Arts Council's funding of the Braid project to the tune of £2m and also what its attitude is to retrieving public funds.
His written questions include asking the Minister "what conditions were attached to the funding, given by the Arts Council to the Braid Centre, in Ballymena in relation to keeping the facility a neutral and shared space and welcoming to all?"
He also asks "whether the Arts Council has been informed by Ballymena Borough Council of the plans to erect flags and symbols in the Braid Centre, Ballymena and what action the Arts Council intends to take?"
Finally Mr McKay inquires "whether it is Arts Council policy to withdraw funding for facilities if the conditions that are attached to funding are not adhered to."
Various parties took their own legal advice around the "flags" issue before the new policy was implemented two weeks ago.
Unionists consider the matter settled, and are confident the new policy complies with legal requirements, so it remains to be seen whether councillors who disagree will mount a court challenge.
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