Durkan criticises Bogside Peacemakers Museum and First Minister Michelle O’Neill at Stormont

Derry Journal

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00:00TEO funded the extension and refurbishment of the Gas Yard Centre, directly impacting

00:05the centre's ability to meet the community needs, and they now employ 19 staff directly

00:08and approximately 50 staff indirectly, to ensure that the community have access to support

00:13services within the local area.

00:15With an array of projects on offer throughout the calendar year, the Peacemakers Museum

00:19hosted within the centre was funded solely through the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

00:24An internal review was carried out under the Raising Concerns policy.

00:28The outcome of the internal review was independently reviewed by Group Internal Audit and Fraud

00:32Investigation Services.

00:34The conclusion to both reviews was that there was no breach of the capital process regarding

00:38Gas Yard Development Trust's proposal.

00:41Mr Dirkin.

00:42Go raibh maith agat, sean Córlea agus bríochas leis an ceoimhe arraith fósta.

00:48Would the First Minister agree that the use of John Hume's name and image to promote

00:53a project, despite his wife, Pat, and the Hume family expressing their opposition to

00:59it, was and is wrong?

01:01What lessons have been learned by the Executive Office over this matter?

01:07I assure the Member that I am absolutely delighted that our department was involved in funding

01:12and supporting the extension and refurbishment of the Gas Yard Centre.

01:16I referred to the employment that it created and what it means in terms of the local area

01:21and the community having access to support services in the area.

01:24I think that is a fabulous thing.

01:25We stand over that and we are very proud of that.

01:28In terms of the Peacemakers Museum, the TAO does not provide any direct funding for that,

01:32and therefore it is an issue between both the family and the museum itself.

01:36Simon.

01:37Thank you, Mr Speaker.

01:39Minister, there is no doubt that the Peacemakers Museum has proven to be divisive, not least

01:44amongst the nationalist community.

01:46There is no doubt as well that lessons need to be learned from the department as to how

01:49these types of projects are handled.

01:51What lessons do you think can be learned as a result of what has happened in relation

01:56to the Peacemakers Museum?

01:58I remind the Member that the TAO was not involved in funding the museum itself.

02:04The gas works are different and we are proud of that investment.

02:08In terms of the museum itself, there has been a lot of public commentary around that.

02:14Whilst we are not responsible for the content, the TAO did contract Ulster University to

02:20provide some sort of additional assurance on the information that was shared within

02:23the content steering group and the development of the museum narrative, and the University

02:28of Ulster and the National Lottery Heritage Fund confirmed that they were content that

02:32this had been met prior to construction works commencing.

02:36Just to say that, I think that all of these things are much better tried to be resolved

02:40in a conversation as opposed to perhaps sometimes megaphone diplomacy.

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