Funding can help us build for the future - Duncan

12.01.03pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 10th Jul 2006

Alliance Castlereagh Councillor, Sara Duncan

Alliance Party Castlereagh Councillor, Sara Duncan, has welcomed the announcement of a £3.3 million funding package which is to help replace paramilitary murals with positive images of Northern Ireland.

Cllr Duncan said: "Its great that the government has announced that they will provide £3.3 million to help replace sectarian murals.

"For too long these images have loomed large over communities, intimidating many local residents and visitors to these areas.

"Not long ago, I accompanied a delegation from Lithuania that were here to discuss business and regeneration. They were being shown around a number of local enterprise development units and while travelling to one of the units noticed a large paramilitary mural. The mural was so intimidating that the group of visitors were very frightened by it and needed to be repeatedly assured by their translator that they were at no risk.

"I hope that the mural they saw is not the abiding image they have of Northern Ireland. I also hope that as regards their perceptions of Northern Ireland, the positive far outweighed the negative for them.

"I am so glad that thanks to this funding we can finally try to create a positive image for Northern Ireland. Its time that Northern Ireland started displaying its positive side to the world to help attract more tourists and foreign investment."

ENDS