Opposition leader Matthew O'Toole accuses Stormont ministers of 'avoiding scrutiny'

Matthew O’Toole also welcomed comments from the Speaker Edwin Poots about the importance of ministerial statements being made in the chamber rather than in writing.

Mr Poots last week warned ministers about issuing “no comment” answers to MLAs, saying it is showing disrespect to the public.

The SDLP Leader of the Opposition says there is a “repeated pattern” of ministers avoiding scrutiny. He singled out the Finance Minister John O’Dowd’s publication of next year’s draft Budget and successive monitoring rounds via written statements not Assembly statements, saying this avoided him having to answer questions from MLAs.

Mr O’Toole also said that a decision by the health minister to remove of core grant funding to more than 20 organisations was not brought to the Assembly for scrutiny. He said other major announcements which passed without any Assembly questions this year include the civil service pay award, the delivery plan for justice reform and the 10-year tourism strategy.

The SDLP says the failure to bring these announcements to the Assembly is “all the more inexplicable and indefensible given the Executive is still barely 50 per cent through its legislative programme for last year”.

Matthew O’Toole MLA said: “There is a crisis in accountability at Stormont. Ministers, from the First Minister down, want to be garlanded for turning up and engaging in photo ops – but are all too often determined to avoid accountability.

“Repeatedly Ministers make announcements deliberately timed to avoid facing questions from MLAs.

“But taking responsibility and demonstrating accountability is a core part of their jobs.

“I welcome the fact that Speaker Poots has reinforced the importance of accountability to Ministers.

“The Official Opposition is determined to provide real accountability and wont duck from that work – even if makes others uncomfortable.”