Speaking about figures he has obtained through Assembly questions TUV MLA Timothy Gaston said:
“At the end of last year, I tabled questions to each Stormont department asking about their spend on hospitality. Looking at the figures across the board, I am sure many will be shocked to discover that Stormont departments spend more that £35,600 a week on wining and dining.
“Some of the agencies spending eyewatering sums of money – like NI Water’s £58,200 – aren’t seeking to attract international investors. Given the pressures on the water system in Northern Ireland which are painfully clear for us all to see, such an outlay appears to be grossly excessive.
“Even when it does come to the Department of the Economy, can more than half a million pounds really be justified in just ten months across the Department and the various bodies accountable to the Minister?
“And why have some Departments been so reluctant to answer these questions or been evasive in their responses? We don’t know the total spend for the Department of Justice as the Minister has refused to provide figures for the arm’s length bodies which are accountable to her. Her Alliance Party colleague the Agriculture Minister is not quite so bad but he and Communities Minister Gordon Lyons provided bald figures for the total spent by arms-length- bodies instead of breaking them down. Of course, true to form the Executive Office has the biggest problem with being open with the public and hasn’t answered the question at all.
“It is noteworthy some bodies – like the General Teaching Council which has spent nothing on hospitality – have a very different attitude to others. Of course, this doubtless can be partly explained by the frequency of meetings and the work load associated with different organisations but there is little doubt in my mind that the culture in relation to this issue needs to change in some parts of the public sector.
“No one is arguing that there isn’t a place for hospitality. It is only reasonable to expect that when a meeting takes place those involved might have a cup of tea and a biscuit but there should be moderation in all things, particularly when it comes to public money. With a total spend across the departments and arm’s length bodies which have provided figures of over £1.4 million since the return of devolution yet more people will question the value for money of the system.”
Note to editors
The data for the different departments can be accessed here.