Irish group seeks meeting
Irish language group Forbairt Feirste chief Philip Campbell has
called for an immediate meeting with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.
Campbell wants to raise the British Government's denial of
funding to the group for a programme where Irish speakers could
communicate with statutory agencies as Gaeilge.
Campbell criticised the manner in which the application was
refused: ``the Minister's department waited nine months before
replying to our application.'' He revealed that a brief letter
arrived the day before a scheduled meeting with British minister
Tony Worthington stating their request for £20,000 had been
rejected. Ironically the project has already secured £20,000 from
the EU peace fund.
Campbell queried how this latest decision reflected on promises
of parity of esteem, and called on the British Government to look
positively at such funding applications.