Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“Back in 2015 I brought legislation before the Assembly which would have done three things. It would have reduced the number of Special Advisers at Stormont, restricted the amount they could be paid by tying SpAd salaries to Northern Ireland Civil Service rates and brought them under Civil Service disciplinary procedures
“During the debate on the second stage of the Bill in October 2015 I pointed out that the Red Sky scandal had highlighted that SpAds were not subject to the normal Civil Service disciplinary process. When an independent, fact-finding investigation by the Department of Finance and Personnel into a DSD special adviser Stephen Brimstone recommended that there should be a disciplinary process in respect of him the Minister, who appointed him quashed it.
“Civil servants are civil servants and it is for the processes of the Civil Service to apply to SpAds. In proposing the legislation in the Assembly I argued that Special Advisers “cannot expect to gain from all the benefits that come from being a civil servant, such as the pension scheme and all that, but dodge and evade the disciplinary possibilities that come as to their conduct. The Bill would make it abundantly clear that the normal disciplinary processes of the Civil Service would also apply to these civil servants who are special advisers and would expressly prohibit any ministerial meddling in that.”
“The Bill would also have reduced the amount paid to Special Advisers. I observed that while in Wales the average cost of Special Adviser was £58,500 in 2013-14 – well shy of the £100,000 plus cost in Northern Ireland.
“At the time the DUP were engaged in a token boycott of Assembly business following an IRA murder, missing business such as a debate on cancer, but broke that boycott to join Sinn Fein to vote down the Bill – at the very time we now know DUP SpAds were delaying cost controls in RHI.
“In addition to brining this legislation I repeatedly questioned Ministers on the appointment process for Special Advisers, particaurly when a convicted murderer was appointed as a SpAd in DCAL. It seemed obvious to me that the process which should have been followed was not. It wasn’t just the DUP which disregarded the legal process on appointment of SpAds but their partners Sinn Fein.”
Note to editors
Mr Allister’s bill is here.
The debate on the Bill is here.
You can view Mr Allister’s questions to Ministers about how their SpAds were appointed here.