Protest in Belfast against funding cuts to Irish language youth services

A PROTEST took place in Belfast city centre yesterday against funding cuts to Irish language youth services.

A large crowd gathered outside the headquarters of the Education Authority (EA) in Academy Street following the organisation’s decision last month to cut funding to Glór na Móna, an Irish-language youth and community organisation based in the Upper Springfield area of west Belfast.

The organisation, which has received EA funding since 2009, said the loss would impact “significantly and disproportionately upon front line Irish-medium youth services, equating to loss of youth work jobs across the sector and hundreds of hours of weekly face-to-face youth work delivery”.

This is what happens when @Ed_Authority removes funding from youth services in west Belfast @irish_news @GlorNaMona @dreamdearg @CnaG @FailteFeirste @raidiofailte @Culturlan pic.twitter.com/deozyU72HF

— Mal McCann (@MalMccann) March 1, 2022

Glór na Móna said it was told by the EA that “funding would not be continuing from April 1 as a result of budget constraints”.

The move means that 98 per cent of the organisation’s youth project funding of £86,000 will be removed.

A public meeting about the cuts took place in west Belfast last week.

Feargal Mac Ionnrachtaigh, Director of Glór na Móna Director, said yesterday’s “massive crowd” at the protest provides strong evidence of the “palpable anger within our community at the Education Authority’s disastrous decision to decimate Glór na Móna’s youth provision”.

“Disgraceful decisions have consequences and our young people and their families decided to bring this frustration and widespread anger to the doors of those responsible,” he said.

“No longer, will we accept being treated less favourably than those around us where funding can be removed at a whim without consideration for the adverse and disproportionate impact on our young people”.

Mr Mac Ionnrachtaigh said there was “still time for a resolution”.

An EA spokeswoman said: “Glór na Móna were funded previously under a legacy funding scheme which has been replaced in line with the Priorities for Youth policy.

“Glór na Móna will be able to apply for relevant funding under the new scheme”.