NI Conservatives’ spokesman, Mark Brotherston, has accused the culture minister of “seeming indifferent” to financial threats to the Ulster Orchestra.
“It is clear from Caral Ni Chuilin’s latest comments at Stormont that she will not make much of an effort to save the orchestra and cares little about its fate”, Mark noted. “That’s an extraordinary position for a minister charged with nurturing and developing the arts in Northern Ireland. But it’s not surprising, given that the Culture Minister also informed the Assembly that she has never attended a performance by the orchestra, which is one of our premier cultural institutions.”
“Successive DCAL ministers in Northern Ireland have abused their position, to preside over a sectarian carve up of spending. There is little thought given to the value of the arts to society and to the economy. Instead we have funding for sectarian concerts by republican groups and 11th night bonfires. It’s abominable that the culture minister seems indifferent to the fate of Northern Ireland’s only full time orchestra. It also exposes an Executive with a seriously warped set of priorities.”