PRESS RELEASE

5 October 2007

PN 04/07

PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE REPORTS ON SPRINGVALE EDUCATIONAL VILLAGE 

The Northern Ireland Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will publish its report detailing its findings and recommendations relating to issues raised in the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) report and Committees evidence session, into the Springvale Educational Village Project, at a press conference on Thursday 11 October at 1pm in the Press Conference Suite, Parliament Buildings.

The NIAO report concluded that, in key respects, the project could have been handled better. Springvale was a major strategic development, aimed at addressing particular educational, economic, cultural and social needs in North and West Belfast, and, had it been completed, would have involved over £40 million of public funds. An undertaking such as Springvale merited the highest standards of professionalism in its handling, including the effective management of risk, which clearly did not always happen.

The PAC produced its report after hearing evidence from the Accounting Officer from the Department of Employment and Learning, departmental officials and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ulster.

ALL MEMBERS OF THE PRESS AND MEDIA ARE INVITED TO ATTEND

NOTES TO THE EDITOR:

• The Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) report was published on 30 November 2006.
• Dr Aideen McGinley is the Accounting Officer of Department of Employment and Learning and Professor Richard Barnett is the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ulster.
• The PAC Committee members are:-

Mr John O’Dowd, (SF) Chairperson
Mr Roy Beggs, (UUP) Deputy Chairperson
Mr Trevor Lunn ( Alliance)
Mr Jonathan Craig (DUP)
Mr Simon Hamilton (DUP)
Mr David Hilditch (DUP)
Ms Dawn Purvis (PUP)
Mr Mickey Brady (SF)
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin (SF)
Mr John Dallat (SDLP)
Mr Patsy McGlone (SDLP)

• Standing Orders under Section 60(3) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 have provided for the establishment of the Public Accounts Committee (the Committee). The main statutory function of the Committee is to consider accounts and the reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland (C&AG) laid before the Northern Ireland Assembly.

• The C&AG is head of the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) and is empowered to investigate any area of expenditure and has a statutory right of access to all files and papers in Departments and public bodies.

Media enquiries to:

Kieran Dougan. Information Office, Parliament Buildings, Belfast BT4 3XX,

Tel: 028 90 90521642: Mob. 07825146794

Email: kieran.dougan@niassembly.gov.uk

Website: archive.niassembly.gov.uk