Cllr John finlay has welcomed the establishment of Broadcasting Fund for Ulster-Scots. The Fund, like its Irish equivalent, is not funded by the Executive but rather by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in London.
John also dismissed attacks from Jim Allister on the matter as Sinn Fein propaganda being peddled by TUV.
Commenting Cllr Finlay said:
“I am delighted with announcement that for the first time there will be an Ulster-Scots Broadcasting Fund, funded by DCMS until 2015. This is a positive development in educating people about their cultural background. It is positive that television programmes could be produced to celebrate events such as the 100th anniversary of the Ulster Covenant, the birth certificate of Northern Ireland.
Ballymoney has an great interest in Ulster-Scots and there is an number of Ulster -Scots groups in the area who will be delighted with this announcement.
Regardless of TUV spin on behalf of SF, the DUP will not be supporting an Irish Language Act. That is very clear. The only way that such an Act could come about is through the re-introduction of Direct Rule, and the Party which wants to see that is TUV.
The Democratic Unionist Party is committed to bringing forward equality between Irish and Ulster-Scots. Where once Direct Rule was committed to imposing an Act solely dedicated to the Irish language there will now be a strategy covering both minority languages. The Strategy will be based on equality and will mark the end to years of inequality and disadvantage.
Where once there was a huge imbalance around the funding for Ulster Scots progress has been made through our devolved institutions and finally there has now been a commitment by the Government at Westminster to begin to address the funding imbalance within broadcasting.
It is not surprising that Jim Allister would attempt to use this announcement to launch an attack on the DUP. As far as I can see, if the DUP is for it Jim’s against it. Jim’s sort of short-sighted politics will do little for the future of unionism or the future of Ulster."
