|
Background
to the
Research
- SSPPR is funded by the EU
and was established after the 1995 ceasefire in NI. A review of the
programme undertaken by special advisors to the three NI MEPs indicated
that there may be a relatively low response from the Protestant community.
This research was commissioned to analyse the programmes database.
Research
Approach
- Although individual projects are not linked
explicitly to either religious community, it is possible to identify
the religious group who will benefit most from the funding by looking
at the postcode and address of the applicant, and at their EDs.
Main
Findings
- Catholics make up 43.1% of NI's population,
Protestants 56.8%. 54.2 % of applications for funding to SSPPR are from
Catholics, 45.8% from Protestants. In terms of project approval, Catholics
represent 56.9%, Protestants 43.1%. Catholics received 53.6% of approved
funding, Protestants received 46.4%.
- Geographically, applications and approved
projects are in line with population distribution. Just over 80% of
EDs generated applications for funding.
- The applications for EDs reflects how
advantaged they are; the most disadvantaged 10% of EDs account for well
over 2,000 applications while the most affluent EDs comprise only 600
applications.
- Funding requests from Catholics are concentrated
in the most disadvantaged areas, comprising more than £30 million, as
opposed to £5 million from the most affluent areas, whereas those from
Protestant disadvantaged areas constitute about £12 million, with around
£8 million from the most affluent areas.
- The allocation of approved funding "reflects
a moderate degree of targeting" of social need with the most disadvantaged
EDs receiving five times the funding of the more affluent areas.
- SSPPR therefore achieves both its aims;
targeting social need and covering NI as a whole.
- Looking at funding allocation per capita,
disadvantaged Protestants marginally exceed Catholics, although Catholic
per capita funding is higher then Protestants. This is explainable in
terms of the greater number of requests which come from Catholic areas.
- Using path models, the report found that
religious composition and deprivation have an equal influence on approved
funding.
- Approved per capita funding is more equally
shared than the split between the communities in requested funding.
|
