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Date Posted: 06:25:49 07/20/02 Sat
Author: Brendan
Subject: QUB Graduate Pat Finucane bursary protest by Unionists..

Row over Finucane bursary plan
BBC TV.

20TH JULY 2002.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/northern_ireland/newsid_2139000/2139893.stm

Plans to name a bursary at Queen's University after a murdered Belfast solicitor have been criticised by unionist politicians.
Ulster Unionist Roy Beggs said if the plan goes ahead to name a course within the university's legal department after the Catholic solicitor Pat Finucane, who was murdered by loyalists in 1989, it would further alienate Protestant students on the campus.

The university intends to name a course module within its legal department after the former student.

"If this proposal goes ahead the atmosphere at the university will become even worse for unionists," said Mr Beggs.




The East Antrim member and former Queen's student has expressed his concern to the Equality Department at the university about the matter and the number of falling Protestant students studying at Queens.

"Recent figures show that 43.7% of students enrolled in 1997/98 were Protestant compared with a 39.6% Protestant student population in 2001/2002," said Mr Beggs.

"The percentage for Roman Catholic students were similar for the same years, with 53.3% in 1997/1998 and 51.3% in 2001/2002.

"If this award naming goes ahead it will be another negative impact for the unionist students at Queen's.


Party colleague Esmond Birnie, agrees, referred to the "unwelcoming chill factor" at the universities.

'Chill factor'

South Belfast assembly member Dr Birnie said the stark difference in employment figures between Protestants and Catholics at the university were also a cause for concern.

"There is a responsibility on the students' union and Queen's more generally to try and correct the chill factor," he said.

Dr Birnie added: "I would give credit to the current students' union management in that they were quite open to admit there was a problem.

"They said they would certainly do all they could to encourage applications but whether they can do enough to overcome the chill is another matter."

Mr Beggs agreed there was a "gross imbalance" among the students' union workers and questioned why fair employment legislation had not redressed the balance.


"Northern Ireland's society has changed dramatically in other areas and I do not believe any big company would have been allowed to maintain the imbalance that has been maintained at Queen's without taking appropriate pro-active action," he said.

"Whilst hearing sympathetic noises and acknowledgements about the problems, I haven't seen definitive action."

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