No answers on cost of last year's Saint Patrick's Day trip to Washington - TUV slam First Ministers' attitude to answering questions
A question about how much last year’s Saint Patrick’s Day trip to Washington by Stormont’s first ministers cost the Executive has still not been answered – with the Executive Office branded “particularly bad” at answering MLAs’ questions.
Earlier this week the Assembly Speaker told ministers “this isn’t Castlereagh holding centre” – as he criticised “no comment” answers on questions posed by elected members.
TUV MLA Timothy Gaston has criticised the First and deputy First Minister for not having revealed how much public money they spent on the 2024 trip.
Speaking in Stormont, the North Antrim MLA said: “I will focus today on the lack of transparency in the House and on the failure of Ministers to adhere to their responsibilities under Standing Orders to respond to questions for written answer.”
He pointed to Assembly rules which state that ministers must answer questions posed by MLAs by the end of ten working days after it is published; or in the case of a question for priority answer, by the end of two, three, four or five working days (as the case may be).
“I regret that, across several Departments, that rule is being disregarded on an ongoing basis. I am grateful to you, Mr Speaker, for intervening and requiring Ministers to issue revised answers to questions that I have submitted. Those questions deal with the time lag between draft written answers being provided by officials and the written answer being provided to MLAs by the Minister. It is with the latter that the problem exists.
“Although it is far from being the only offender, the Executive Office is particularly bad”, Mr Gaston said.
On Tuesday, Speaker Edwin Poots warned that ministers must be accountable to MLAs, and by extension, the wider community in Northern Ireland who elect them.
He referenced a famous RUC base, where terrorist suspects were questioned during the Troubles. “This isn't Castlereagh holding centre, where people are sitting saying ‘no comment, no comment, no comment’. And I would suggest to ministers that it's not a good look withholding information from members where you have that”.