The TUV has complained to Stormont's speaker after Caral Ni Chuilin shut down Timothy Gaston when he attempted to raise use of public money to fund party press officers – but allowed another MLA to discuss Israel during the same debate.

Ulster Unionist MLA Steve Aiken also questioned the decision by the Sinn Fein MLA – saying that rulings need to be equal, and questioned how the decision was “equitable”.

Mr Gaston, the TUV MLA for North Antrim, has now written to Assembly Speaker Edwin Poots about Ms Ni Chuilin’s handling of the debate – which was on the Assembly Commission budget. That’s the body that staffs and runs the Assembly and MLAs’ offices – as well as the work of political parties at Stormont.

Principal Deputy Speaker Ms Ni Chuilin interrupted the TUV MLA three times when he raised issues about the employment of former Sinn Fein press officer Michael McMonagle, who had been employed by a number of Sinn Fein politicians at various points, using Assembly funds. The now-convicted paedophile was employed by Ms O’Neill for three months in 2020, before a police investigation into him began, and while she was deputy First Minister.

The TUV have complained to Stormont's speaker after Caral Ni Chuilin shut him down when he attempted to raise the misuse of public money to fund party press offices.

placeholder image — The TUV have complained to Stormont's speaker after Caral Ni Chuilin shut him down when he attempted to raise the misuse of public money to fund party press offices.

Caral Ni Chuilin instructed Mr Gaston to return to the “substance of the debate”- to which Mr Gaston responded that when he tried to raise issues in relation to the McMonagle case they “always seem to be shut down”. Both MLAs sit on the Executive Office committee, where the chair, Alliance’s Paula Bradshaw, previously ruled out questions to the first minister on the matter – including how many days McMonagle had worked in Michelle O’Neill’s office.

The Sinn Fein MLA for North Belfast subsequently permitted People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll to raise points about money spent by the Commission on companies with links to Israel.

The principal deputy speaker told MLAs she had taken advice on Gerry Carroll’s comments on Israel and they had been ruled within the scope of the discussion, but she did not say whether she had taken similar advice on Mr Gaston’s comments. The News Letter has asked the Assembly for clarity on this matter.