Public Accounts Committee

PRESS STATEMENT

20 January 2011

PAC 06/10/11

Statement by the Public Accounts Committee

The Public Accounts Committee met today to discuss the leaking of the draft report which was scheduled for consideration at today’s meeting.

The Committee strongly endorses the statement that the Chairperson made when he was alerted to the leak.

The Committee is extremely disappointed that the draft report was leaked to the media and given widespread media coverage before it had been considered let alone agreed by the Committee. The Committee has been undermined by this development. Inquiries are ongoing to ascertain the source of the leak.

The Public Accounts Committee has a unique role in the parliamentary accountability process. That is not to assign political responsibility but to determine financial accountability for waste and misuse of taxpayers’ money.

The Committee wishes to reiterate that its process is not complete. This Committee understands that the public and the media find these matters intensely interesting. But selectively quoting from a document that is not finalised or agreed is irresponsible and unfair to the people at the heart of the inquiry. In the public interest and for the integrity of its process the Committee insists that it will not be deflected.

ENDS

Committee Membership:

Mr Trevor Lunn
Mr Gregory Campbell
Mr Stephen Moutray
Mr William Irwin
Mr Adrian McQuillan
Mr Paul Maskey (Chairperson)
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Mr John Dallat
Mr Patsy McGlone
Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Ms Dawn Purvis

For media enquiries please contact:

Caroline Moore
Deputy Communications Officer
Northern Ireland Assembly
Phone: 02890 521806
Mobile : 07900053926
Email: caroline.moore@niassembly.gov.uk