Northern Ireland Conservatives' chairman, Irwin Armstrong, has expressed dismay that the new first legislative counsel at Stormont could cost OFMDFM almost £20,000 more per year than the salary of the Prime Minister.
“This latest revelation simply adds to our concerns about the size of OFMDFM and the value for money which it offers hard pressed taxpayers”, Irwin remarked. “Previously the first legislative counsel earned between £125,000 to £130,000 per year. The new post-holder could pocket £205,000, while the Prime Minister of the UK makes £187,000 per year”.
“The First Ministers' office already stings the taxpayer over £18 million in administrative costs alone, each year. It has 10 more staff than Downing Street, 8 Special Advisers, whose salaries are not published, but who could cost £7 million over the course of an Assembly, and a press department with running costs approaching £1 million per year!”
“This is the same ministry which is supposed to be in charge of encouraging integration. Yet the draft CSI strategy remains completely inadequate and unimplemented, the Programme for Government was late and is unfit for purpose and the Northern Ireland Peace Monitoring Report says that our society is as divided as ever. OFMDFM couldn't even spend all the money it was allocated to combat division last year.”
“It is vastly too expensive, offers awful value for money and its record of delivery is appalling. The first ministers and the Executive need to get hold of this problem department once and for all, rather than awarding another inflated salary. It is the hard-pressed taxpayer who is paying through the nose to sustain a bloated, self-aggrandising Office, which exemplifies the carve-up of government in Northern Ireland.”