After three and a half months First Ministers still won’t say how £28 million will be split between Cultural Expression, Irish Language and Ulster Scots

Commenting on a recent response to a written question tabled months ago Jim Allister said:

“Three and a half months ago, on 25^th February 2020, I asked the Executive Office for a breakdown of the costs of the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression, the Irish Language Commissioner and the further Commissioner associated with Ulster Scots. This morning I received a response which provided none of the information requested.

“The length of time taken to answer a priority written question – which Assembly rules required to have been answered by 28 February – is scandalous. To still not have any detail on a breakdown of the cost is outrageous. 

“Here we have a set of bodies which are seeking an allocated budget of £11.5million in 2021/2 and which have a total of over £28 million earmarked for them from now until 2022/23. But still no detail on how that money will be allocated.

“When the New Decade, New Approach document was published we had many grand promises of a golden age of transparency. Yet here there is a telling unwillingness to be up front with the public about the cost of the flagship proposals which resulted in a deal which brought Stormont back after three years in suspended animation.

“It simply isn’t good enough.”

Note to editors

Mr Allister’s question and the response received are as follows:

To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister to detail a breakdown of the costs produced to the Committee for the Executive Office in respect of (i) the Office of Identity and Cultural Expression; (ii) the Irish Language Commissioner; and (iii) the further Commissioner associated with Ulster Scots. The costs produced to the Committee represent an initial marker bid submitted to the Department of Finance (DoF) to inform budget considerations for 2020/21. They are a very high level estimate based on costs of existing bodies headed by a Commissioner. The estimates will be subject to change and actual allocations to each body will be dependent on final decisions by Ministers, the Executive and the Assembly on their functions and responsibilities.