§ Mr. Peter Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his oral reply on 10 July to the hon. Member for Belfast, East, what court gave consideration to the unlawful nature of payment to the Gaelic Athletic Association; what its conclusion was, who the judge was; and when this court sat.
§ Mr. Goodhart[pursuant to his reply, 17 July 1980, c. 690]: In the High Court of Justice in Northern Ireland the hon. Mr. Justice Murray gave judgment on 5 December 1977 in the case of Purvis Minors and Magherafelt district council. In the light of an obiter dictum made in this case, the Department suspended grants to the GAA in December 1977 while legal advice was sought on whether it was in breach of section 19 of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973. In the light of advice received it was decided, in April 1978, that payment of grants to the GAA should be resumed on the basis of the restricted grant rate, and payments on this basis have continued.
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