THE NEW review of funding of the Equality Authority announced by Green Party leader John Gormley last Friday is to be carried out by the so-called An Bord Snip Nua, it emerged last night.
A spokesman for the Green Party in Government said the review would ensure the Equality Authority worked effectively. “The Green Party is concerned that the authority can operate at its most effective”, he said.
An Bord Snip Nua, which is chaired by economist Colm McCarthy is examining ways cutting public sector spending across the board.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael has called on the Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern to provide a “clear and unambiguous statement” about his intentions towards the Equality Authority following comments by Mr Gormley at the weekend that controversial changes at the agency are to be reversed.
Justice spokesman Charlie Flanagan said Mr Gormley’s assertions were unequivocally at variance with recent statements by the chair of the authority and the Minister for Justice.
Mr Gormley said on Friday the changes to the authority had caused deep concern and upset in the Green Party and he had now succeeded in having them reversed. “The planned further decentralisation of staff has been stopped and a further review of funding for the Equality Authority undertaken to ensure that it can do its work effectively,” he said.
Former chief executive of the Equality Authority Niall Crowley resigned last December following the refusal of the Minister for Justice to halt the decentralisation of the office to Roscrea, Co Tipperary, and to restore some of the funding so the reduction to its budget would be 32 rather than 43 per cent.
Mr Flanagan said Mr Gormley’s comments that changes to the authority had been reversed were diametrically opposed to any recent statements from Fianna Fáil. “Furthermore, we are led to believe that a review of funding for the organisation is tantamount to funding being fully restored.
“Minister Gormley also stated that the further decentralisation of authority staff to Roscrea has been halted. He seems blissfully unaware however, that 23 staff members are already in-situ in Tipperary with the remaining 15 in Dublin. If the Green Minister is to be believed we are left with the worst of both worlds – a real dog’s dinner of a situation. We either have decentralisation or we don’t.
“Who’s in charge of this issue, Minister Gormley or Ahern?”
He said there was an urgent need for Mr Ahern to make a statement of clarification either confirming Mr Gormley’s bold statement or conceding that the situation remains the same.