DUP ‘taking money out of clubs’ Murphy insists
Sinn Féin MLA Conor Murphy has slammed the use of a Petition of Concern by the DUP against a Sinn Fein bill that would see rates relief for amateur and community sports clubs.
The Newry MLA said that the DUP’s actions had denied sporting clubs a valuable resource.
“The use of a petition of concern to block a bill that would see rates relief for community and amateur sports clubs, is an absolute disgrace,” he said.
“They have effectively taken money out of the pockets of sports clubs across the north and wasted the time which many clubs have invested to see this bill brought forward. Sporting clubs do find it hard to make ends meet and every penny counts.
“This bill would have seen them being able to avail of a smaller rates bill which is money that would naturally be put back into the club for development and better facilities for all our communities,” Murphy explained.
“This would have provided a greater resource within our communities. I don’t think anyone could say that our sporting clubs, made up largely of thousands of volunteers giving hundreds of hours a year, could not benefit from this bill.
“We all know the very valuable work that sporting clubs carry out in terms of community cohesion, improving health and wellbeing, tackling depression and much, much more.
He added, “I would urge members of sporting clubs whether in boxing, rugby, the GAA or soccer to contact their local DUP office and ask them why they are denying resources to hard-pressed clubs.”
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