Strabane ‘spin doctor’ spend largest in NI

Strabane’s local authority spent a total of £441,199 between 2008 and 2011 or £11.07 per person living in the town.

The expenditure was outlined by Environment Minister Alex Attwood in response to a query from DUP MLA Lord Morrow who had asked for the Minister’s assessment of local councils’ spend on external consultants and external media services and whether he intended to issue guidance on this expenditure.

The Minister also revealed that Strabane District Council spent £351,576 (£8.82 per person) on external consultants over the same timeframe.

Meanwhile, Derry City Council spent £867,636 (£7.91 for every person in the city) on external consultants over the past three years and £18,400 on external media (just 17 pence per person) over the same period - one of the lowest levels of expenditure in Northern Ireland.

In Limavady £99,780; £2.94 per person was spent on external consultants; whilst the local authority spent nothing on external media services.

Outlining the figures Mr Attwood commented: “My officials then sought explanations from those councils above the average spend. They were advised that in relation to consultancy costs, the spend related mainly to the quantum of capital spend, along with HR related exercises, and feasibility studies carried out on promoting tourism and economic development in the area. Some expenditure included grant aided projects and this can be recouped.

“With regard to external media services, the bulk of the expenditure related to promoting arts / festivals, tourist events, publications for ratepayers, economic development, job vacancies, press notices about tenders and provision of services.

“It is worthy of note that overall council spend in both of the categories has reduced over the last three years - consultancy by 32.6 per cent in 2010/11 compared to 2008/09 and external media spend by 10.4 per cent over the same period.”