Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:-
“In a blaze of publicity, as a distraction from the then imminent adverse Spotlight programme into Redsky and other issues, the DSD minister rushed to the Assembly to proclaim to the world that four named contractors had overcharged NIHE by £18 million. When challenged by myself and others to substantiate the figures it soon became clear the minister could not.
“Now, today, under the lull of the summer recess, it has been publicly admitted that the true figure was no where near £18m, but only £670,000 – approximately one thirtieth of the sum claimed by the minister. Indeed, it is now conceded one company in my North Antrim constituency is actually owed money for under payments!
“By his rash and injudicious outburst the minister brought ill fame to the four named contractors and created financial pressures for them. Surely, now that he has been proven to be so comprehensively wrong he should at least apologise to them in the same public fashion in which he accused them. Given how for over a year he has constantly failed to ameliorate the damage he inflicted, this is now another reason – on top of the finding that he deliberately misled the DSD committee – why Minister McCausland should be considering his position. This time he can’t even take refuge in ‘inadvertence’; he was calculated and deliberate in presenting the £18m as fact to the Assembly.
“Instead the minister’s pitiful response is to say it’s “time to move on”, but not a word of apology from the minister who so cavalierly bad-mouthed these contractors. Shame on him.”