Ulster Unionist Party Leader, and former Chair of the Stormont Public Accounts Committee, Robin Swann MLA, has said that a major culture change as to how public money is managed within the civil service is needed urgently in order to restore public confidence and prevent money being squandered. 

Speaking after a NI Audit Office Report – ‘Management of the NI Direct Strategic Partner Project – helping to deliver Digital Transformation’ found that a contract estimated to be £50 million when it was signed in 2012 is predicted to be £110 million in October 2022, Robin Swann MLA said:

“There is a depressing familiarity about this in terms of yet another Government project running wildly over budget and leaving the taxpayer to pick up the tab.

“It is shocking to read in black and white that the Department of Finance ‘failed to put sufficiently strong financial controls in place to manage the Strategic Partner Project until 2018, six years after the start of the contract.’

“How on earth can a situation be allowed to arise whereby a contract estimated to be £50 million when it was signed in 2012 be predicted to have more than doubled to £110 million in October 2022?

“This comes at a time when the public is still awaiting the report of the RHI Inquiry which was a spectacular failure to manage public money, and this latest overspend will do nothing to restore public confidence in how public money is being managed and looked after.

“It is all well and good to hear pledges that people will learn from past mistakes and implement best practice, but jargon and vague promises are not good enough.

“Government departments are staffed with well-paid senior officials whose job it is to keep control of spending. Putting financial controls in place is basic stuff, yet somehow it did not happen and this wasn’t picked up for six years! It is perfectly clear that a massive culture change is needed. This would not be tolerated in the private sector and it is equally unacceptable where public money is at stake.”