Sinn Fein minister's memo on controversial US jobs meeting given to BBC before scrutiny committee
A member of Stormont’s economy committee has raised “serious concerns” after a memo of a meeting where a US firm withdrew an offer of 300 jobs for Northern Ireland was given to the BBC before MLAs.
The DUP’s Jonathan Buckley – who first questioned Sinn Fein economy minister Caoimhe Archibald about the withdrawal of Cantor Fitzgerald’s proposed investment – says a note of the meeting was given to the BBC and the Irish News “a full 24 hours before” the committee.
Last Wednesday, the Upper Bann MLA raised claims that the deal may have fallen through because of Sinn Fein’s positions on issues such as Gaza.
Ms Archibald said the company’s decision was “absolutely a matter for them” – and that parties should express political positions “as they feel”. Her top official Ian Snowden said he didn’t have the detail on why the investment fell through – but raised the issue of President Trump’s trade policy.
On Thursday, the BBC challenged Mr Buckley with details of the meeting which it said had been provided to it by the economy department’s press office – but the scrutiny committee did not receive it until Friday. The brief note showed that representatives of the company told the economy minister it would not be proceeding with the potential investment after a discussion on “current geopolitical issues”.
Mr Buckley has accused the department of “a clear disregard” the committee. He said: “It is wholly unacceptable that journalists had access to this information a full day before elected representatives charged with scrutinising the issue.
“This is a matter of basic respect for the Committee and its work. I asked that the Committee formally write to both the Minister and the Department’s Permanent Secretary to put down a marker and seek an explanation for how this situation arose.
“The Committee agreed to take this course of action, with the exception of Sinn Fein, who opposed the proposal.
“If Committees are to function properly, they must be treated with respect. Information should be provided first to the NI Assembly, not leaked or briefed to the media in advance.”