Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:-
“Quite apart from the lack of transparency about the payment of Hokey Cokey ministers, it is quite clear that each of their Special Advisers stand not to lose a penny.
“SpAds are automatically out of office immediately their ministers resign. However, they then become eligible to a golden handshake of 6 months pay and if they are re-appointed within that six months then they get to keep the money which would have been paid to them in salary if they had continued in post and never resigned. See para 19 of Sch 1 of this document for confirmation:
http://www.dfpni.gov.uk/spad-act-13-code-of-practice-governing-the-appointment-of-spads.pdf
“This is a preposterous abuse of public money. SpAds can be out of post, do no work – go on holiday if they like – and still in the end get fully paid for every day they didn’t work and weren’t a SPAD. Alternatively, if they don’t come back they get 6 months pay, the first £30,000 of which would be tax free!
“So while others struggle to make ends meet, these cosseted SpAds are in a win, win situation. It could only happen in Stormont!
“I have also been attempting to get to the bottom of the payment arrangements for DUP yo-yo Ministers though Assembly questions for a number of weeks.
“The farce of DUP resignations and reappointments have done something which few would have believed possible – left the public holding Stormont in even greater contempt. This was the case even before they learned that 24 hour Ministers were being paid for the time they served in office. However, what isn’t yet clear is whether or not a Minister who is appointed one day and resigns at one minute after midnight the next day gets two days salary or one. I have therefore tabled a question to the Assembly Commission asking for clarity on this point.
“If DUP Ministers were resigning on a point of principle they wouldn’t be back in and out again like yo-yos. It is purely a political tactic which is seen for the farce it is by the general public.
“The only thing the DUP Ministers are doing by this tactic is keeping Sinn Fein in office. If they had followed through on their promise and quit the executive they would have removed Sinn Fein/IRA Ministers from office as well.
“You cannot be half in and half out of the Executive. In what other job would such nonsense be tolerated?
“There is a need for absolute clarity as to when the DUP started talking to the Assembly about paying back salaries of Ministers who served just a few hours and I am astounded that the Assembly is stalling in providing journalists with this basic information. Many will suspect that they only became exercised about the matter when the press turned their attention to the issue. It is something I will force to be answered through Assembly questions eventually anyway. I intend to table a two day priority written question on the issue to the Assembly Commission tomorrow morning.
“The public have had enough of these silly games. Hiding the truth about when the DUP raised this matter with the Assembly will only cause both the Assembly and the DUP to sink further in the estimation of the electorate”.