NI council’s spending on community projects comes under scrutiny

Public money spent on an airline ticket, flowers, and cigarettes through funding for community projects should be “clawed back”, a councillor has said.

Those were some of the items highlighted following an audit into the spending by Derry City and Strabane Council on Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) projects.

A report presented to councillors earlier this year made 44 recommendations to improve controls on spending.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds are spent by the council each year on funding projects through the PCSP.

Auditors highlighted an invoice for an airline ticket that “did not state the amount of the flight or confirm who the flight was for”.

Another instance raised by auditors was a “a purchase of flowers with no explanation why these were purchased”.

The auditors also pointed to “petty cash invoices” submitted in claims for public money that “related to the purchase of cigarettes for bingo prizes”.

While the internal audit carried out by the council, which was first discussed by councillors in July, found the oversight of spending to be “satisfactory”, serious concerns were raised by councillors when the report was first presented.

A proposal was put forward in July for an external, forensic audit to be carried out that gained the support of the SDLP, People Before Profit, an Alliance councillor, Aontu and several independents.

But the combined opposition of Sinn Fein and the DUP was enough to vote down the proposal.

Another proposal was put forward last month, following a ‘call-in’ of the majority decision in July not to proceed with the external audit, but again this was voted down by a majority of councillors.