It comes following a discussion at tonight (2 Nov)’s meeting, where legal opinion found merit in an Alliance call-in of a recent decision by the DUP and Sinn Féin to allocate £339,242 in discretionary funding, using money from the council’s non-recurrent community capacity-building budget.

With the support of the UUP and the SDLP, they once again voted through the funding redirection.

Cllr Murray has said: “Public money must be allocated fairly, transparently, and in accordance with the criteria established by Belfast City Council itself. That’s fundamental in maintaining public confidence.

“Our call-in was about ensuring that the proper procedures were followed, that relevant information was fully considered and explained clearly, and that funding decisions are being made on a fair and consistent basis. Legal opinion has validated our concerns that these standards haven’t been adequately met in this case, including the passing of a proposal to ring-fence £100,000 for dual-language signage before other applications been properly assessed.

“This isn’t about opposing support for community organisations or vital investment in language and culture. It’s about ensuring that every decision is taken through a fair, consistent and transparent process for all applicants.

“It was disappointing that, following the outcome of the call-in which stated that the council’s procedures hadn’t been followed properly, the DUP and Sinn Féin, with the help of the UUP and SDLP, succeeded in redirecting a combined £439,000 which would have otherwise gone to under-served communities in Belfast.

“Belfast deserves better than a system in which the rules appear to be applied inconsistently. We need confidence that decisions around public money are made fairly and with proper consideration of the evidence at hand.”