NI councils spending three times more than GB on award ceremonies

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Council (ABC) are the big spenders locally with a total of more that £162,000 over the last three years – the second highest of all the UK councils.

According to the Freedom of Information data obtained by the TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA), ABC was one of only 13 authorities that spent more than £100,000, with 65 using no money at all to host awards.

The TPA report shows that councils spent £6.5 million on award ceremonies at an average cost to the taxpayer of £18,064 per council.

Northern Ireland’s second highest expenditure was in Lisburn and Castlereagh at £93,449, followed by Belfast City Council with £74,848.

Bottom of the NI spending league table was Newry, Mourne and Down with just over £2,000 spend on awards. Causeway Coast and Glens Council is listed as having refused to supply any information.

Highest spend of all was Tory-controlled Derbyshire County Council’s £218, 483 – twelve times the national average and £14,658 more than all Welsh councils combined, the TPA report said.

A spokeswoman for Derbyshire County Council said the figures related to staff long service awards, with the council now spending “less than half what has been reported”.

She added: “Derbyshire is one of the biggest council employers in the country with around 12,000 staff.

“Having a loyal and dedicated workforce saves us a lot more money in recruitment than the cost of these awards.”

Welsh councils spent 44% less than the UK average, while Scottish councils’ spending was almost 40% higher than the average spend in England.

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council’s spokeswoman said its data related to community, sports, food and business awards which “recognise and champion local success and community achievement.”

She added: “The figures quoted represent the total cost of these events before deducting income from ticket sales or private sector sponsorship.”

John O’Connell of the TPA said: “There’s nothing wrong with congratulating staff who work hard or celebrating local businesses, but councils should prioritise the essential services that they are paid to provide.”