Call to scrap 'wasteful' super council quango

The call has been made after revelations to the Sentinel that each representative sitting on the 11 Transition Committee's across Northern Ireland receive almost 250 a meeting.

Committee member Leslie Cubitt, who is representing the Limavady area at the transition stage, says he and the other 19 members on the proposed Coleraine 'super council' are being paid 2,500 a year each plus travelling expenses, for just one meeting a month.

Members are even said to be considering cutting the meetings to just one every two months because of a "lack of work and direction" on the RPA process. Councillor Cubitt also raised concerns over the amount of money being paid to council officers and managers after fears the new council shake-up may not take hold to 2015 - four years later than it's 2011 target.

"It's a total waste of money. Why should we and the other officers involved in the transition council be getting paid any money when we are doing nothing? It's a disgrace," blasted councillor Cubitt.

"There are currently 20 members, including myself, on the transition council committee at Coleraine who meet once a month. That's 50,000 a year coming out of the public purse for us meeting with no progress. Then there's the Transition Management Teams who I believe are getting in the region of 30,000 per year for their time. Add all of that up over four years for each council in Northern Ireland and you are talking about millions being wasted, all because Stormont is dragging it's feet."

Currently there are 11 Transition Committees in Northern Ireland, one for each of the proposed new councils. Each Committee is made up of elected members from the 26 district councils. The Committees, in turn, are supported by Transition Management Teams who are responsible for effectively delivering a programme of responsibilities which will create "continuous and efficient services" for the new councils. When first introduced, the Department of Environment said the committees would: "Plan and prepare key activities to make sure there are 11 effective councils in place for the changeover date in 2011"

But Councillor Cubitt said this has not happened: "I am calling for it's immediate disbandment because we are going no further forward with the implementation of the new councils. It already looks like there will have to be an election for the 26 council areas next year because of this hold up. This alone will cost Limavady 150,000. We need to stop wasting money."

Councillor Cubitt continued: "Last week it was announced that already 8 million had been spent on the boundary restructuring project for the councils. This has not been spent, it has been wasted. It cannot continue."

"We do not need a recurrence of the multiple millions wasted on the Maze prison fiasco to happen with the transition councils. Stormont, especially Mr Poots, needs to stop the dragging of feet."

In response to Councillor Cubitt's call for the disbandment of the committee, a spokesperson for the DOE said none of it's work has been "wasted" adding that the Environment Minister was committed to delivering a model with "real savings" for ratepayers.

The DOE spokesperson said: "The Minister is fully committed to reshaping local government in the most effective and efficient manner possible. He has held constructive discussions with party representatives about local government reform and recently put a paper to the Executive with options on a common way forward to deliver the reform timetable."

"The Transition Committees are a vital part of the reform programme and have taken forward a significant amount of work to prepare for the convergence of the councils - none of this work has been wasted."

The spokesperson concluded: "The principal objective for Minister Poots is to make sure that a model for delivering the future efficiency savings in local government is produced which is fit for purpose and will deliver real savings to ratepayers. The Transition Committees will have a major role in the development of that model."