Cost of extraordinary Causeway Coast & Glens audit small compared to acts

Gregory Campbell in his letter (‘Massive cost of Causeway audit,’ July 8) has three main themes all of which deserved to be answered.

The cost of the extraordinary audit pales in significance when tallied along side the cost of the actions of officials in the council. Lands sold for a total of five thousand and one pounds that could have achieved £1,300,000.

Legal actions including two judicial reviews £500,000+ , additional investigations and audits plus loss of revenue from developments that should be in place for three years. And I cannot put a price on the reputational damage to the council.

Additional hotel provision could have been achieved and was universally supported by members. The only thing to prevent the hotel to date has been the manner and conduct of officials in attempting to deliver it as highlighted by the extraordinary audit.

Mr Campbell asks, who was the public representative who wrote to the minister and what actions did they take beforehand.

I wrote to the minister, only after speaking to the council solicitor, the CEO, the assistant CEO, the elected members on numerous occasions, the National Association of Councillors, supplied an affidavit and written and recorded evidence to a judicial review, supplied evidence to two special audit meetings in council evidencing gross misconduct, wrote and meet the audit office officials on dozens of occasions, the comptroller and auditor general, NIPSO and the attorney general all before writing to the minister.

Support from the DUP would have been appropriate at any time in the last four years.

Padraig Pearse McShane,

Councillor, Causeway Coast & Glens Council, Glens DEA

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