Northern Ireland inquiry into withdrawal of £50,000 Líofa grant

The North's Equality Commission is to investigate controversial funding decisions made by the Department for Communities that played a part in the crisis of Stormont earlier this year.

The commission is to investigate decisions made by the department which was run by DUP minister Paul Givan in relation to withdrawing an Irish language promotion grant and grant aiding community halls in Northern Ireland.

After the late Martin McGuinness resigned as deputy first minister in January, thus precipitating the collapse of the Northern Executive, he said the withdrawal of the £50,000 Líofa grant was motivated by “crass and crude bigotry”.

The grant was removed two days before Christmas but when the crisis escalated it was restored by Mr Givan who said he had no antipathy to the Irish language.

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Mr Givan also was embroiled in controversy over a £1.9 million community halls grant programme that some nationalists claimed was loaded in favour of Orange Order and other organisations viewed as aligned to the unionist community.

The Equality Commission said the investigation would consider whether the Department of Communities has “complied with its Equality Scheme commitments relating to screening and equality impact assessment”.

A report will be issued at the conclusion of the investigation.