Second Sinn Fein minister admits using official car to go to Bobby Storey IRA funeral

The News Letter broke the news last week that Finance Minister Conor Murphy had ordered his Executive vehicle to take him to the funeral.

Former finance minister Mervyn Storey of the DUP told the News Letter that, when he was finance minister, his chauffeur-driven car was to be used strictly for government business only, not personal engagements.

Now Caral Ni Chuilin, the communities minister, has admitted doing the same.

Her appearance at the funeral for IRA intelligence chief Mr Storey on June 30 using the taxpayer-funded service came only two weeks into her new role (she took over on June 15 from Deirdre Hargey, who stood down on health grounds).

Like Mr Murphy, Ms Ni Chuilin revealed her use of the car by responding to an Assembly question by TUV MLA Jim Allister.

He had asked “whether she was conveyed to the funeral of Bobby Storey on 30 June 2020 in an official Executive car”.

She today replied (over a week after the deadline for responding came and went) by saying: “I was collected from home on 30 June 2020 and taken to Bobby Storey’s funeral in west Belfast by the ministerial car. I was later collected and taken to Stormont for Assembly business, including the final stage of the Housing (Amendment) Bill.”

Mr Allister had also asked if Michelle O’Neill and junior Executive Office minister Declan Kearney had also used ministerial cars, but no response had yet been received.

Mr Allister said: “While O’Neill now pontificates about the importance of wearing masks at least two of her ministerial team were transported to a funeral at which multiple breaches of the coronavirus regulations occurred at public expense.

“The double standards and do as I say not as I do approach of Sinn Fein is nauseating and is made all the worse by the use of public money in this fashion.

”There may be a desire within the political class to move on and forget about the scandal of the Storey funeral but this latest revelation deserves attention.

“There will be many who will note the contrast between the appeal of the Hume family not to go to John Hume’s funeral because of the public health risks and the disregard which Sinn Fein displayed of the general public when it came to the Storey funeral.”

The comments were put to Sinn Fein’s press office, but no response had been received at time of writing.

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Bobby Storey funeral: Belfast City Council stonewalls on claim that both £138k CEO and £108k top manager are absent after Roselawn debacle——————A message from the Editor:Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

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Alistair Bushe

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