Linen Hall Library is to receive £175,000 in “emergency money” from Belfast City Council despite a failure to make any formal application.
Representatives agreed to the “ad hoc” funding to help the storied institution “stay afloat”, with only Sinn Fein objecting both at committee level and during this week’s full council meeting.
At a closed door meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, councillors considered a letter sent by the library, the oldest in the north, to the council’s chief executive requesting the money.
No details emerged of the type of emergency facing the library, but at the full council meeting representatives described the fund “saving” the institution and needed so it will “stay afloat”.
Accounts filed with the Charity Commission reveal the library had an income of approximately £1m in 2023 but spent £1.4m.
On Monday January 27, during a secret session away from the public and press of the committee, the request was considered by councillors.
Earlier this week Belfast City Council announced that ratepayers were facing an increase in its portion of the rates bill of 5.99% - more than twice the rate of inflation.
Two votes were taken, one on a Sinn Fein proposal opposing the funding, which was defeated. The other tabled by Alliance in support of the handing over the money passed.
At the full monthly meeting of Belfast City Council, held this week, Sinn Féin Councillor Ronan McLaughlin said: “One particular organisation is looking approximately £175,000 from the council, without going through any form of application process, by simply writing a letter to the Chief Executive, and that letter being submitted to a committee.
“Certainly we don’t view this as a good and appropriate use of public money, when there has been no open process, no transparency, and no fund set up to look at this.”
While the councillor described the institution as a “noble” one, he warned: “Just one word of caution to other councillors around this room – you can expect the Chief Executive to get a lot more requests like this.”
Alliance Councillor Sam Nelson said his party supported the funding “because we think it is critical to saving the organisation”.
“This is not about treating them differently to any other people, what we have suggested is we use the underspend from the discretionary scheme to deliver some emergency help for the organisation to stay afloat,” Mr Nelson added.
“The discretionary funding has gone out twice for open call, organisations have had ample time to apply, and there is now an underspend there. We have received this urgent request to save what is a really important institution in our city, something that helped shape our city into what it is today.”
