Agenda item

In accordance with notice on the agenda, the Lord Mayor called upon Councillor Ferguson to propose the following motion, which was being seconded by Councillor Matt Collins:

“This Council notes with alarm that the Belfast Citywide Tribunal Service once again faces closure due to a lack of funding.

The Council is deeply concerned with the lack of core funding offered to this service over the past year and notes that the recent Department for Communities budget did not include a necessary funding package to retain this vital service.

The Council calls on the Minister for Communities to immediately release core funding for this service of £256,769 per annum, in order to meet the growing need and pressure that the service faces.

Until then, the Council pledges to retain Belfast City Council funding for this project, through its reserves if necessary, until other sources of funding are secured. Accordingly, the Council agrees to call an emergency meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee and, subsequently, a special meeting of the Council to discuss the logistics of this proposal.”

Councillor Ferguson informed the Council that, since her motion had been submitted, a meeting had taken place between the Council, the Department for Communities and the Citywide Tribunal Service to discuss the Service’s funding requirements. She pointed out that the Department for Communities had offered some funding, however, that had fallen short of what was required to meet the Service’s costs until the end of the current financial year. With that in mind, she sought and was granted approval by the Council to amend her motion to read as follows:

“This Council notes with alarm that the Belfast Citywide Tribunal Service once again faces closure due to a lack of funding.

The Council is deeply concerned with the lack of core funding offered to this service over the past year and notes that the recent Department for Communities budget did not include a necessary funding package to retain this vital service.

The Council, therefore, calls on the Minister for Communities to immediately release core funding for this service of £256,769 per annum, in order to meet the growing need and pressure that the service faces.

Until then, the Council will provide £128,500 through its reserves, if necessary and refers the matter to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee for consideration.”

            At the request of Councillor Lyons, the proposer agreed to amend her motion further to provide that the Council seek an urgent meeting with the Minister for Communities, with a view to securing the long term future of the Citywide Tribunal Service.

After discussion, the motion, as amended and set out below, was put to the Council and passed:

“This Council notes with alarm that the Belfast Citywide Tribunal Service once again faces closure due to a lack of funding.

The Council is deeply concerned with the lack of core funding offered to this service over the past year and notes that the recent Department for Communities budget did not include a necessary funding package to retain this vital service.

The Council, therefore, calls on the Minister for Communities to immediately release core funding for the Citywide Tribunal Service of £256,769 per annum, in order to meet the growing need and pressure which the service faces and calls for an urgent meeting with the Minister, with a view to securing its long term future.

Until then, the Council will provide £128,500 through its reserves, if necessary and refers the matter to the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee for consideration.”