Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“The spotlight in the Cash for Ash scandal has shifted to the role of DUP SpAds. We now know that not only does former Special Adviser Stephen Brimstone benefit from the scheme but the brother of Arlene Foster’s SpAd is a successful applicant and the father-in-law of John Robinson has two boilers. Mr Robinson failed to declare this – even though he is a SpAd in the Department which claims to be clearing this mess up!
“Yesterday’s evidence from Dr Andrew McCormick suggested that Mrs Foster’s SpAd was the key figure in exerting pressure to keep the scheme open thus allowing the spike to happen. Additionally, Jonathan Bell has alleged that a fourth DUP SpAd, Timothy Johnstone, played a role.
“It is therefore timely that people remember that on 13th October 2015 I proposed a Bill in the Assembly which would have:
- Reduced the number of SpAds at Stormont by cutting the number available to the First Ministers to 4; as opposed to 8;
- Restricted the remuneration of SpAds by linking it to the salary scale applicable to an Assistant Secretary Grade 5, whose salary at the time was £65,422 – £78,275 and
- Applied the disciplinary processes and procedures applicable within the Civil Service to SpAds.
“During the consultation on the Bill and in the debate on 13th October I reminded people that the Red Sky affair resulted in an independent fact-finding investigation by the Department of Finance and Personnel (DFP) which recommended that the Minister’s Special Adviser should be subject to a disciplinary investigation. However, Nelson McCausland was able to intervene and abort any such course of action.
“The Bill was debated at the height of the RHI spike and while the DUP were boycotting debates on issues like children with autism and cancer. Yet they turned up to the chamber to speak against my proposals and joined Sinn Fein in voting down a Bill designed to hold SpAds to account and cut their cost to the public.
“The DUP need to explain why they were so keen to protect SpAds from accountability – and protect their pay packets.”