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Patsy McGlone
29th June 2010
McGlone: Consultants only people
gaining from failed RPA
SDLP member of Stormont’s Public Accounts
Committee, Patsy McGlone, has said £1million blown between two government
departments on consultancy fees relating to the failed reform of local
councils is a sad indictment of the waste of public money coming from the
two largest parties in the NI Assembly.
Through written questions to Stormont ministers, Mr McGlone gained a
breakdown of over £14million spent between the Department of Education and
OFMDFM.
He said: “Yet again this is another glaring waste of public money coming
from the top. Through a series of earlier Assembly questions I was able to
ascertain £14million was spent by these two departments on the now failed
reform of local government. I felt the figures simply didn’t add up and
wished to see a breakdown of the costs.
“The Department of Environment, which has presided over the fiasco of RPA,
spent £300,000 on consultancy fees, along with over £4million administration
costs, £1.7million transition committee costs and £1.25million on the local
government boundary commission. OFMDFM, although not going into much detail
about its breakdown, did manage to flitter £300,000 on consultants. This
really is not on.
“We are living in a time when leadership from the top in government is
paramount and we are running head first into a difficult budget that will
impact us in the autumn. We are not getting the adequate example or
direction from our local ministers in the Department of Environment or
OFMDFM.
“People in my constituency in Mid Ulster and all others are worried about
their jobs, their health and their children’s education. All three are
currently under threat. This flagrant waste of their taxes is an insult to
hard-working and honest people trying to make do in difficult financial
times.”
ENDS
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