Concern over 'disturbing' Church of Ireland approach to addressing questions around bishops' expenses

Canon Ellis, who was editor of the weekly newspaper between 2001 and 2017, said that while some of the costs and expenses are published annually in the General Synod Book of Reports, he was attempting to “delve deeper into the figures”.

While still the editor in 2016, he said he “found it impossible” to get certain information from the RCB.

Canon Ellis posed further questions in May 2022 in response to what he called “discrepancies” in the RCB’s published reports of 2021 and 2022 relating to bishops’ cost and expenses.

Canon Ellis said: “While there is no suggestion of impropriety, the issue at stake is willingness to share the information without constraints. When that happens, people can make up their own minds.”

He said he was told there had been a “restatement” of the 2021 figures to reflect the inclusion of “administration recharges” – due to them not having been included in the original 2021 figures.

Canon Ellis remained dissatisfied with the RCB’s responses to subsequent queries and, in June 2022, requested a meeting.

He said a meeting was eventually offered but then withdrawn after he made four proposals – including that he attend in the company of an “observer”, that he would not be subjected to any confidentiality restrictions, and that the discussion would be audio recorded.

In June this year Canon Ellis was advised by the RCB that his “conditions” as stated were unacceptable to the RCB executive committee and that the offer had been withdrawn.

Canon Ellis said: “While I understand that inquiries would usually be addressed in writing, I requested a meeting because the written answer I received to my written inquiry was very unclear to me and … raised important further questions.

“The RCB then did offer me a meeting but, in a shocking move, withdrew that offer on the basis of a categorical misrepresentation of what I wrote in accepting it.

“The RCB wrongly characterised the proposals I made for the meeting as conditions I was requiring. Proposals invite discussion while required conditions do not. I made proposals, not conditions.

Canon Ellis added: “I find it very disturbing that the RCB has based its withdrawal of its offer of a meeting with me on an incorrect representation of what I wrote and has refused to respond to my request to correct the record.”

The RCB told the News Letter: “The financial statements are prepared by the staff of the RCB and then audited by PwC whose opinion was that these financial statements have been properly prepared in accordance with the accounting policies of the RCB. The financial statements are reviewed each year by the Audit Committee … and presented to … the General Synod.

“Any of these elected bodies have the authority to seek further explanations as part of the normal checks and balances provided within the Church of Ireland’s governance structures. From time to time as is normal, cost classifications are reviewed and reclassifications can be made to the reporting, where it is felt to be more appropriate.”