£170,000 spent on RPA committee

OVER £170,000 was spent on a transition committee charged with overseeing the amalgamation of Derry City and Strabane District Councils under the stalled Review of Public Administration (RPA).

A total of 173,045 was spent on the committee from its formation in January 2009 until September 2010.

The North West bill was fifth highest in Northern Ireland with Ards/North Down (188,708), Fermanagh/Omagh (181,397), Castlereagh/Lisburn (177,749) and Ballymena/Carrickfergus/Larne (175,460) all costing more.

Environment Minister Edwin Poots revealed the expenditure in response to an Assembly Question.

RPA was launched by the Northern Ireland Executive in June 2002 with the remit of reviewing the arrangements for the accountability, development, administration and delivery of public services in Northern Ireland.

It was originally proposed the number of local councils be reduced from 26 to seven, though this figure was later revised to 11.

Derry City Council was supposed to unite with Strabane District Council following local government elections next year.

But a wrangle between coalition partners on the Executive over the reform has resulted in the shake up being parked.

The funding for the committees was stopped from Hallowe’en however.

Mr Poots said he was suspending the 1.65m in annual funding for committees.

Early last month he commented: "Many of the transition committees no longer meet as they consider that they can carry out no useful function towards re-organisation."

He added: "Once we have determined a new delivery timetable, it can be decided what role transition committees will play in delivering the reform programme."