Committee Questions Management of Capital Projects
Synopsis: The CAL Committee has expressed concern about the Northern Ireland Audit Office findings on its investigation into the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure’s management of seven major capital projects.
Session: 2012/2013
Date: 22 March 2013
Reference: CAL 05/12/13
The Assembly Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure has expressed concern about the Northern Ireland Audit Office findings on its investigation into the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure’s management of seven major capital projects.
Chairperson of the Committee, Miss Michelle McIlveen MLA said: “Committee members discussed the Audit Office report and Members voiced reservations about how the Department oversaw these projects.
“Estimates of both project costs and time needed for completion appear to have been well off the mark; and missing paperwork with regard to the Lyric Theatre rebuild contract has raised significant questions about whether best practice was followed.
“The Department does not appear to have made full use of the technical advice made available to it and the Audit Office has made it clear that decisions taken by the Department did not always follow a clear audit trail. This should not be the case when public money is being used.
“Clearly the Department needs to have learned lessons from these projects and it will be apparent if these lessons have been implemented by how well the current stadia development project proceeds.
“The Committee has agreed to write to the Minister to probe these issues further.”
ENDS
