Time to bring transparency to the running of the Odyssey - Allister
24 November 2011
TUV Leader Jim Allister has raised serious concerns about the operation of the Odyssey Trust Company (OTC) and the lack of oversight by DCAL.
“Though the affairs of OTC are supposed to be governed by the terms of a funding agreement with DCAL, dated 21 December 1998, the department seems remarkably lax in its oversight. In response to a series of probing written questions to the DCAL Minister, I can only describe her attitude as at best complacent.
“From these questions the following disturbing facts emerge:-
§ OTC is not bound by public procurement rules – AQW 1858/11-15;
§ OTC’s accounts show unexplained establishment costs of £3m pa and unexplained sundry expenses running to £100,000 per month, but the Department is disinterested – AQW 1859/11-15;
§ The Funding Agreement provides employees are not to be paid salaries in excess of reasonable and open market rates (AQW 2551/11-15), yet the minister says remuneration of staff ‘is the sole responsibility of the OTC Trustees’ (AQW 3065/11-15). When pressed (AQW 3753/11-15) she says OTC is satisfied the salaries are appropriate on the basis of an unpublished ‘independent’ report – AQW 4288/11-15. It is clear DCAL has taken no steps to satisfy itself as to whether OTC is paying OTT salaries, as many suspect!
§ OTC, it seems, has cash reserves of £40 m, but has received £5.5m of public money from DCAL to help fund the Science Centre – AQW 2553/11-15;
§ OTC is reported to be spending £5m on upgrading the hospitality suites at the Odyssey. Whereas, the Funding Agreement speaks of the need for DCAL approval on ‘property and assets’ the was not asked and the minister claims the Funding Agreement requirement does not extend to refurbishment expenditure – AQW 4054/11-15
“The Odyssey is undoubtedly an iconic asset to Northern Ireland, but the public are surely entitled to know how much its overlords are being paid, what the report on their salaries says, why DCAL does not oversee the Funding Agreement with more vigour and how this charitable company is funded and how it spends its money.
“I am, therefore, calling on DCAL to be more assertive and proactive in its oversight of OTC and for accountability and transparency to be brought to its operation.”
