NIFTC expresses concern at change to Irish Language Broadcast Fund

The Northern Ireland Film and Television Commission is extremely concerned at the inclusion within the government’s draft budget of an effective reduction in the Irish Language Broadcast Fund.
Whereas the Fund was originally budgeted as £12 million over three years, it is now budgeted as £12 million over five years.
Richard Williams, CEO of the NIFTC, said: “The NIFTC is disappointed that it was not consulted over this budgetary reduction despite having been asked to manage and administer the Irish Language Broadcast Fund by the Department of Culture, Arts & Leisure (DCAL), the government body responsible for the Fund.
"Since being tasked in June 2004 with the management and administration of the Irish Language Broadcast Fund, we have set up an implementation panel, employed Máire Killoran as the Head of the Fund, co opted Peter Quinn to the Board of the NIFTC to act as Chair of the Irish Language Broadcast Fund and drafted appropriate notification to try and secure the necessary European State Aid Approval for the Fund.”
Chair of the Implementation Advisory Panel for the ILBF and NIFTC Board Member Joe Mahon said: “This effective reduction in budget for the Irish Language Broadcast Fund has come as a complete shock to the NIFTC. We have been working hard over the past few months to deliver a strategy for the new fund.
"It is extremely frustrating to then have the decision making powers as to how the fund is spent taken away from us without consultation and we call upon the Secretary of State to restore the budget and the original timescale that was first announced.”
Head of the Irish Language Broadcast Fund Máire Killoran said: “I am very disappointed by this cut to the Fund but I will continue to do everything I can to have this Fund up and running as soon as possible.”
(GB)