NORTHERN IRELAND
Northern Ireland’s Public Servants, who have been running the Province for more than two years following the collapse of the elected Executive, have been accused of receiving gifts and hospitality worth thousands of pounds.
Head of the Public Service, David Sterling is believed to have enjoyed hospitality at rugby games, a concert and a garden party.
Other Heads of Department were invited to Gaelic football, soccer and ice hockey games and in one case an after-dinner talk with a leading sports personality.
Altogether, senior officials declared receiving almost £18,000 (A$32,800) worth of gifts and hospitality in 2017–18, according to registers published on Departmental websites.
However, transparency concerns have been raised as some Departments have not published updated registers for several years.
After being contacted by journalists, the Department of Finance confirmed it would publish its registers for the past three financial years and thereafter on a quarterly basis.
The Department for the Economy said it would release the most recent registers “shortly”, while agreeing to pre-release the 2017–18 register in an anonymised form.
Leader of the Green Party, Clare Bailey said a renewed commitment to transparency and accountability across the board was needed if Northern Ireland’s devolved institutions were to be restored.
Northern Ireland has not had a functioning Government since the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin–led Executive fell apart in 2017.
Fresh talks have been convened between the main parties in a bid to restore the Government and the Provincial Assembly.
Belfast, 21 May 2019
