sf/ira discrimination against Protestants

[Wasp]

PROTESTANTS have been even less likely to get a public appointment under Sinn Fein minister Caral Ni Chuilin than under her party colleague Conor Murphy, who two weeks ago was found guilty of discrimination against a Protestant.

Ms Ni Chuilin, who for 12 months has been culture minister, has appointed more than twice as many Catholics as Protestants to positions on public bodies under her control – despite the fact that Roman Catholics make up just over 40 per cent of the population.

Her department was accused of bias by TUV leader Jim Allister, but this allegation was strongly rejected by the Ms Ni Chuilin’s Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL).

Of 71 Catholic applicants, 14 were appointed by the former IRA member. But just six out of the 70 Protestant applicants were appointed, while out of 18 applications from individuals who were neither Catholic nor Protestant or whose religion was unknown, eight were appointed.

Last night Mr Allister, who uncovered the figures through an Assembly question, accused Sinn Fein-led departments of a pattern of discrimination against Protestants.

The figures show that when it came to reappointments to public bodies – which in almost all cases involve individuals put forward by a past minister and generally led to a reappointment – the number of Catholic (nine) and Protestant (12) reappointments by Ms Ni Chuilin were roughly in line with the population of Northern Ireland.

However, it is those appointed for the first time by a minister which are most significant and it was those figures which were highlighted by the Fair Employment Tribunal when it said that there had been “a material bias against the appointment of candidates from a Protestant background” at the Department of Regional Development when Mr Murphy was minister. Mr Murphy appointed nine Catholics and seven Protestants during his tenure. One of those – the appointment of Sean Hogan as NI Water chairman over four suitable Protestants – led to the tribunal finding that Mr Murphy had discriminated against Alan Lennon, a Protestant.

Mr Allister said: “It is no coincidence that another Sinn Fein-led department has been found out to be operating an anti-Protestant bias in its ministerial appointments.

“This points to design, not accident and coming on top of the damning indictment of Murphy shows up as a systemic trait of Sinn Fein rule. It also exposes the hypocrisy of Sinn Fein’s pretence of treating all citizens equally. With two ministers found out as practitioners of anti-Protestant bias the meaning of ‘ourselves alone’ is clear for all to see.”

In a statement last night, Ms Ni Chuilin’s department said that it “absolutely rejects Mr Allister’s unwarranted attack”.

In the statement, the department included those of no religion in its figures to say that “50 per cent of appointments, 39 per cent of reappointments, and 45 per cent of all appointments/reappointments are recorded as being from a Catholic background”.

It added: “Catholic applicants have had almost exactly the same success rate of being appointed/reappointed as all others, at around 27-28 per cent.”

In its statement, DCAL said that it was “utterly untrue” to say that it practices a pattern of religious discrimination in public appointments.

[Wasp]

In June, Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy said he "absolutely refuted" an industrial tribunal that found a Protestant had been overlooked in a senior role.

The outcome of the tribunal said that Alan Lennon, a Protestant, was overlooked for the post of chairman of Northern Ireland Water because of his religion when Mr Murphy was regional development minister.

It found that evidence by the then minister Mr Murphy was "implausible and lacking credibility".

Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness spoke out in defence of his Sinn Fein colleague and said he did not have "a sectarian bone in his body".

The department was given six weeks to appeal the judgement, given on June 20.

Mr Allister said he had asked other Sinn Fein controlled departments to provide the success rates for Protestants and Catholics in ministerial appointments since May 2007.

He said Culture Minister Caral Ni Chuilin replied to the assembly question giving the appointments since May 2011 when she came to office.

The TUV leader said that the minister answered that 14 Catholics were appointed out of 71 applicants.

He added that six Protestants were appointed out of 70 applicants. Mr Allister said he was informed that 18 further applicants were from a neither or unknown background, and eight of these were successful.

Ms Ni Chuilin's response also highlighted that 12 Protestants and nine Catholics were re-appointed for a second term in a job.

"If you are a Catholic applicant you are twice as likely to receive an appointment as a Protestant," he said.

"The facts speak very loudly," he said.

"My role is to point it put and draw public attention to it."

Mr Allister said Agriculture Minister Michelle O'Neill had responded to the same assembly question presented to her department.

He said 20 Protestants were appointed out of 159 applicants, compared to 24 Catholics appointed out of 72 applicants. A further two were appointed from 14 who had not declared their religious affiliation.

Sinn Fein issued a statement responding to Mr Allister's claims.

It read: "All Ministerial public appointments follow the principles set out in the Commissioner for Public Appointments code of practice and appointments competitions are regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.

"Jim Allister's attempts to introduce sectarianism into every debate are pathetic."