Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
“Recently I tabled a series of questions asking what action had been taken following a BBC Spotlight investigation into abuse of Assembly expenses which was broadcast two years ago.
“The Assembly Commission has now confirmed that NONE of the £700,000 claimed by Sinn Fein MLAs and paid to Research Services Ireland has been recovered by the Assembly in spite of the BBC finding that no evidence of research carried out by the company could be produced.
“More bizarre still is confirmation that the Assembly did not seek to recover any of the rent paid by Sinn Fein MLAs to what the BBC found to be non-existent “cultural societies” because a review of the Spotlight allegations “confirmed that payments for rent, as reported in the programme, were made for admissible expenditure. As such, no recovery has been sought.”
“It is remarkable that the Assembly would take such an attitude with tax payers’ money without explaining how they reached the view that the expenditure was “admissible”!
“The BBC programme demonstrated large sums of public money was claimed in dubious circumstances, yet nothing has been done about it. Little wonder Stormont is now a byword for not just failure, but squander.
” I note the answer relating to Lord Hay’s office, while an MLA, and the fact that “the judicial process is on-going”. Surely, it is time it was progressed to a conclusion?”
Note to editors
The reverent questions and answers are as follows:
To ask the Assembly Commission how much of the £700,000 claimed by Sinn Fein MLAs and paid to Research Services Ireland, as reported in the BBC Spotlight documentary broadcast in November 2014, has been recovered by the Assembly.
The Commission reviewed the content of the two BBC Spotlight programmes. That review confirmed that payments for research services, as reported in the programme, were made for admissible expenditure up to and including the 2012/13 financial year. As such, no recovery has been sought. No payments to Research Services Ireland for work undertaken after 31 December 2012 have been made as a result of changes to the system of financial support for Members that were introduced by the Independent Financial Review Panel from 1 January 2013.
To ask the Assembly Commission, following the BBC Spotlight documentary broadcast in November 2014 that reported Sinn Fein’s payment of rent to non-existent cultural societies, to detail the investigation that was carried out and the action which followed, including the recovery of public money.
The Commission reviewed the content of the two BBC Spotlight programmes. That review confirmed that payments for rent, as reported in the programme, were made for admissible expenditure. As such, no recovery has been sought.
To ask the Assembly Commission what action was taken on foot of the BBC Spotlight documentary broadcast in November 2014 which discovered that an MLA’s office had claimed more than £4,000 for heating oil expenses in one year; and how much of this money was recovered.
Prior to the broadcast of the Spotlight programmes, a Member became aware of an irregular trend in heating oil payments and referred the matter to the PSNI for investigation. The Member also informed the Accounting Officer who initiated an Internal Audit investigation under the Commission’s Bribery and Fraud Response Plan. As a result of that investigation, the Accounting Officer also referred the matter to the PSNI.
The Commission reviewed the content of the two BBC Spotlight programmes. In response to that review, further enhancements to the controls in place for MLAs’ expenses were made.
I am advised that the judicial process is on-going. Once this process is complete, the Assembly Commission will consider what further action is necessary in regard to recovery of costs in line with the requirements of Managing Public Money.
To ask the Assembly Commission to detail the action which has been taken to recover the almost £5,000 claimed by a former Sinn Féin MLA who alleged that a party expenses claim form for mileage was signed without his knowledge as reported in the BBC Spotlight documentary broadcast in November 2014.
Prior to the broadcasts, the Accounting Officer initiated an Internal Audit investigation into this claim under the Commission’s Bribery and Fraud Response Plan. As a result of that investigation, the matter was referred to the PSNI.
The Commission also reviewed the content of the two programmes. That review identified that the reported claim for mileage expenses had not been processed and, as such, no recovery was required.
I am advised that the PSNI has concluded that this matter should not be referred to the Public Prosecution Service.