Sinn Féin MLA Caoimhe Archibald has said that the British government’s replacement for EU funding is not reaching communities in the north.

The East Derry MLA said:

“The allocation of funding via the Community Renewal Fund highlights the unacceptable situation of funding being administered by the British government centrally with no input or oversight from the Executive.

“The biggest beneficiary of the Community Renewal Fund for projects in the north was a call centre in Oxfordshire, meanwhile groups here who are delivering vital programmes in our communities face uncertainty around their funding for the next financial year.

“Established local organisations such as Screen NI, Cinemagic, and even InvestNI were all denied funding despite their ongoing work; certainly if this round of funding allocation is anything to go by it is clear that the replacement for EU funding is not reaching communities in the north.

“It is also becoming increasingly clear that, true to form, the British government’s commitment to match our lost EU funding will not be met

“The replacement funding needs to be allocated to the Executive and Assembly rather than be carved up in Whitehall.”