NI Civil Service

“A feature of the devolved administration here has been that the two main parties have been sensitive to criticism…”

Pete Baker on March 14, 2018, 3:03 pm | Readers 1358

The BBC reported a telling admission from the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, David Sterling, during the RHI Inquiry yesterday. Mr Sterling said the practice of taking minutes had “lapsed” after devolution when engagement between civil servants and local ministers became much more regular. But he said it was also an attempt to frustrate Freedom of Information requests. Mr Sterling said ministers liked to have a “safe space where they could think the unthinkable and not necessarily have …

NI Public Appointments Commissioner: “Despite all the supportive talk in principle I don’t see any change in the public appointment process.”

Pete Baker on July 23, 2015, 3:33 pm | Readers 800

When the previous Commissioner for Public Appointments in Northern Ireland, Felicity Huston, stepped down from the role in 2011 she, pointedly, wished whoever her successor would be “the best of luck”, noting that She said there were difficulties asserting her role as a regulator at Stormont. “People recruit people who look like them, sound like them and have the same life and work experiences,” she said. The commissioner said there were other issues about the independence of her position. “The …

“The Committee views this matter with the utmost seriousness…”

Pete Baker on December 7, 2011, 2:57 pm | Readers 82

The BBC reports the Northern Ireland Assembly Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) press release on their report in response to NI Audit Office report into the Farm Nutrient Management Scheme – the actual PAC report is here. In general there’s little new information on the NI Department of Agriculture’s mishandling of the Farm Nutrient Management Scheme – the largest capital grant scheme ever run by the Department of Agriculture, through which some 4000 farmers received grants worth £121million – an earlier draft PAC report was leaked to the …

Felicity Huston: “The Civil Service struggles with the idea of independence”

Pete Baker on July 4, 2011, 3:27 pm | Readers 124

The Detail has three reports based on an interview with the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Northern Ireland, Felicity Huston, who is stepping down next month after 6 years in the role. Mrs Huston reveals that, despite her repeated requests, she has not met the Head of the NI Civil Service, Sir Bruce Robinson, in an official capacity since his appointment 3 years ago. From The Detail’s main report Mrs Huston later said there had been incredulity within the Civil Service with the queries in the press …

Priestly’s return…

Pete Baker on June 14, 2011, 3:46 pm | Readers 195

The Northern Ireland Department of Regional Development Permanent Secretary, Paul Priestly, was suspended on full pay in August last year. The former Permanent Secretary of the Welsh Assembly, Sir Jon Shortridge, was appointed by the head of the NI Civil Service, Sir Bruce Robinson, to lead the investigation into Priestly’s role in the NI Water saga – but with somewhat restricted terms of reference. The fall-out from that saga is now being felt in a wider political arena. Sir Jon Shortridge reportedly concluded his investigation in November. …

Golden Bull Award for NI Civil Service

Pete Baker on January 6, 2011, 5:05 pm | Readers 108

As the BBC reports The [Plain English Campaign] organisation, which campaigns against complex jargon, recognised the civil service for its instructions on how staff should take a half day holiday. The instructions said: “If the annual leave request that you are entering is less than a full day on the First Day or the Last Day, then please select Hours from the drop down list of values in the Part Days Unit of Measure field. “Then select the amount of …