Money allocated for the cancelled USA250 concert must be returned says Mason
Sinn Féin MLA Cathy Mason has called on the Communities Minister to guarantee that any public money allocated to a failed USA250 concert is returned.
The Deputy Chairperson of the Communities Committee and South Down MLA said: “I have called on DUP Communities Minister Gordon Lyons to ensure that any money earmarked for the cancelled USA250 concert is returned.
“£30,000 had been earmarked for this concert with £10,000 advanced to the Ulster Scots Agency. Taxpayers deserve to know how and where this money has been spent, and how the Minister will ensure that all funds are recovered and returned to the public purse.
“Gordon Lyons has a track record of directing public money into his own pet projects. He wasted £5,500 trying to prove US Vice President JD Vance had an Ulster Scots connection and he also used over £60,000 of public money in a legal challenge to Belfast City Council’s draft Irish Language Strategy.
“At a time when families face real pressures, this minister needs to focus on the issues that matter to ordinary working people such as building more homes and supporting those struggling to make ends meet,” said Cathy Mason.
