RSF oppose 26-County state’s funding of Orange Order

national | miscellaneous | press release Wednesday February 06, 2008 18:28 by Des Dalton - Republican Sinn Fein saoirse at iol dot ie 223 Parnell St Dublin 1 01 8729747

Republican Sinn Féin stated their opposition to the decision of 26-County Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Eamon Ó Cuiv to approve funding of 250,000 euro to the Orange Order under the guise of Cadelmo Ltd, established by the Orange Order to maintain and refurbish Orange Halls in Border areas of the 26 Counties.

Speaking on Newstalk 106 on February 5 Republican Sinn Féin Vice President Des Dalton said:
“We are philosophically opposed to any religious group or organisation being subsidised from public moneys. Republican Sinn Féin believes in the complete separation of Church and State and view the funding of an institutionally sectarian organisation like the Orange Order as an abuse of public funds.

“The Orange Order and Maynooth College were founded in 1795 with British government funding to oppose the radical and progressive Republican ideas of the enlightenment within the Protestant and Catholic communities respectively. Maynooth seminarians and all college employees swore an oath of allegiance to the British Crown, a practice that lasted up until 1900. Both equally played their part in acting as a prop of British rule in Ireland.

“This latest development is a part of the insidious campaign of normalising the partition of Ireland and continued British occupation.” Des Dalton said.