A round of interviews has failed to find a successor to David Sterling as the head of the Northern Ireland Public Service — despite the Government knowing 10 months ago that Mr Sterling planned to retire at the end of August.
It is understood that three candidates, all at Permanent Secretary level, were interviewed but were unsuccessful.
In a statement, an Executive Office spokesperson confirmed an appointment had not been made.
The spokesperson said the “next steps are currently being considered”.
Deputy First Minister, Michelle O’Neill said she hoped the Executive Office would be shortly able to appoint an interim head.
Chair of Parliament’s Executive Office Scrutiny Committee, Colin McGrath (pictured) said it was “incredible, given the extended notice period, that we’re now left in a situation where the joint First Ministers have been unable to appoint a replacement and the office of our most senior Civil Servant is vacant”.
“We’re in the middle of a global health pandemic, our economy is under severe pressure and we’re facing the chaos of Brexit. This is a moment when we need Government to operate efficiently and effectively,” Mr McGrath said.
“The First Ministers need to explain what the interim arrangements will be, what the process for identifying a suitable replacement is and when we can expect an appointment for this important position,” he said.
Mr McGrath said the Executive Office Committee “will want information about this situation quickly”.
Professor of Social Policy at Ulster University, Deirdre Heenan said it was a “damning indictment of our governance here”.
Professor Heenan said she believed the system for appointing the Head of the Public Service was “not fit for purpose”.
Belfast, 27 September 2020
