Irish move angers unionists

The Irish Government will attend Lisburn City Council's meeting

Unionists have expressed anger that the Irish Government intends to send a representative to a council meeting in County Antrim.

The Irish plans to attend the annual general meeting of Lisburn City Council which is due to meet on Thursday to elect a mayor and deputy mayor.

Nationalist councillors have said they are being excluded from positions of authority.

It is unwarranted, unwelcome and unprecedented interference from the Dublin Government Edwin Poots DUP

Last year, none of Lisburn City council's seven nationalist councillors was appointed as a committee chair or vice chair, mayor or deputy mayor, a decision which was criticised by the Irish Government.

However, Edwin Poots of the Democratic Unionist Party, has questioned the intention of the Irish Government to send an observer to the meeting.

"It is unwarranted, unwelcome and unprecedented interference from the Dublin Government in the internal affairs of Lisburn City Council," he said.

"I think Dublin would do well to put their own house in order."

But Sinn Fein's Paul Butler said that the council was not being inclusive.

"What's going to happen today is a continuation of this discrimination," he said.

We are being treated as second class councillors Paul Butler Sinn Fein

"A system of political apartheid was put in place where ourselves and other non-unionists were excluded.

"A lot of the outside bodies that the councillors are appointed to - nationalists are not on any of them.

"Essentially, we don't have any voice. We are being treated as second class councillors, if you like."

'Population shift'

But unionists have said that everyone gets a fair deal when the committee chair and mayoral jobs are handed out.

Mr Poots said Mr Butler had turned down the offer of vice-chair of the Strategic Policy Committee last year.

He added: "Non-unionists have held the mayorship of Lisburn four years in the past 10.

"It's somewhat ironic that the Irish Government will see the DUP, which is the second largest party on the council, elected mayor for the first time in 22 years."