"UTV Live's expose of events leading up to the sacking of NIW directors by Minister Murphy raises disturbing issues of departmental abuse of the due process essential to proper independent investigation, both in terms of selection of the IRT and influence brought to bear on its deliberations.

 

"Of course, any wrongdoing in NIW had to be addressed, but massaging the process to deliver the outcome desired by the Department was meeting one failure with another of premeditated proportions. Such apparent abuse of power under devolution does not suggest local political control has delivered good governance.

 

"Minister Murphy's response gives no confidence that any lessons have been learned by the Department. The absence of an Official Opposition in Stormont makes it all the easier for such abuse to become the norm within what passes as government in Northern Ireland. Ministerial fiefdoms will never be effectively challenged or curbed by a system in which everyone is in government, as evidenced by the compliant acquiesance of DRD's supposed 'scrutiny' committee."