North South Bodies indicted for fiscal mayhem
02 November 2010
With the Stormont Assembly due to debate today a range of Public Account Committee reports, TUV Leader, Jim Allister, has focused in on two reports highly critical of the North/South bodies, citing them as further evidence of the uselessness and waste of these institutions.
In these reports damming findings against several of the north/south bodies are outlined:
- The failure to reveal the remuneration of their senior staff in their annual reports.
- The hoarding of cash, particularly by Inter trade Ireland, beyond its level of need, instead of releasing the funds for use elsewhere in the public interest.
- Deficient control over economic appraisals by SEUPB.
- The absence of best practice regarding conflicts of interest.
- The persistent failure, especially of the Language Body, to finalise and file accounts, some being outstanding for years.
In a statement Mr Allister said, “It is clear that these North/South bodies are not just utterly unproductive in terms of doing anything of worth for our people and economy, but their organisation and housekeeping is shambolic. Though lavished with excessive public funding, to the order of £130m per annum, they appear to be a law unto themselves, falling far below any reasonable public accountability standard, squandering scarce resources and all that without respecting basic accounting practices.
“In these tough times we could save £500m over 4 years and never miss the north/south bodies in terms of their contribution to the economic well-being of Northern Ireland. Yet, shamefully, they are the ultimate sacred cow when it comes to being cocooned by Stormont from public expenditure cuts.
“Today some at Stormont will debate these issues, but, sadly, no one will face up to reality and wield the axe where it could most painlessly fall.”
