McMonagle scandal: terms of reference for Stormont salaries and expenses investigation revealed
Stormont’s review into the salaries and expense claimed by MLAs – prompted by the McMonagle affair – may interview politicians including the first minister.
A leaked copy of the terms of reference for the probe – which officials would not release to the media – has been obtained by the News Letter.
It began when former Sinn Fein press officer Michael McMonagle was convicted of child sex offences in September. It subsequently emerged that, before the police investigation into his activities began, he had been paid to work in Michelle O’Neill’s constituency office – while also being paid by a SF MP and the party centrally.
He has been repeatedly referred to as a press officer by the party – but there was no mention of his apparent role as a constituency office employee.
Michelle O’Neill declined to answer questions on the matter when she appeared before the Executive Office committee in March – with the chair Paula Bradshaw arguing it was not relevant.
SF has said in the past that all assembly rules and procedures in relation to the employment and payment of staff “are properly followed” – and Michelle O’Neill has told MLAs that she takes her pledge of office very seriously and “would stand over my role in all of those things”.
The review is into the use of allowances under the Assembly Members (Salaries and Expenses Determination) 2016. Its remit is to “examine the documentation provided in respect of each of the members involved for the purposes of recovering costs under the 2016 Determination, and carry out such interviews as are necessary”.
It will seek to establish the “extent to which” employees carried out work for a political party rather than the employing member in their contracted hours – as well as “the extent to which persons employed by members may properly carry out work for political parties alongside their constituency roles”.
The review will also look for “ambiguity” in the terms of contract under which MLAs employ staff to carry out constituency work, and whether there is adequate oversight by the Assembly Commission of the roles of MLAs’ employees.