Fermanagh South Tyrone Sinn Féin MP and MLAs Michelle Gildernew, Jemma Dolan, Áine Murphy and Colm Gildernew have called on the British Government to end the cliff-edge facing community and voluntary groups and live up to its commitment to fully replace EU funding.
Speaking after writing to the British Secretary of State calling for proper investment in public services, the Fermanagh South Tyrone representatives said in a statement: “The crisis facing many of our community and voluntary groups resulting from a culmination of lost EU funds and Tory Budget cuts is deeply concerning.
“Funding for jobs and vital community services, including support for children and young people, and programmes for special educational needs and disability, will be lost in the coming days without an urgent intervention from the British Government.
“The British Government must live up to commitments they made to fully replace EU funding and end the cliff-edge facing workers and vital community services now.”
The statement continued: “We should have local ministers in place and working together in the [Northern Ireland] Executive to protect vital community services, and it’s totally unacceptable that the DUP’s blockade is preventing this from happening.
“We have told [Secretary of State for Northern Ireland] Chris Heaton-Harris that his government has a responsibility to properly invest in our public services and immediately provide the necessary money for local departments to support local groups.”
