Coulter questions public appointments
Rev Dr Robert Coulter, the Ulster Unionist Party Assembly member for North Antrim and UUP Stormont Commissioner, has received an assurance from the First Minister that he will receive information on how appointments are made to the central appointments unit of the First Minister’s and Deputy First Minister’s Office.
Assemblyman Dr Coulter said: “I asked the First Minister if he would explain how appointments are made to the central appointments unit in OFMDFM, how many officials are involved in the unit, how they are recruited, to whom they are answerable, what audits have been carried out on their performance in the past five years, and whether those audits are made public?
“In his response, the First Minister told me he would be happy to write to me and give all the facts I want. He said his Office had nothing to hide. In fact, he said he had not yet met some of the officials that he is supposed to be dealing with. When there are over 500 of them, the First Minister told me, that cannot be done in a day.
“I was also assured by the First Minister that Ministerial appointments to public bodies are, where appropriate, made in accordance with the code of practice published by the independent Commissioner for Public Appointments.
“He said the code of practice sets out appointment procedures, which are founded on the principles of selection based on merit, independent scrutiny in the selection process, equality of opportunity and a process that is open and transparent.
“I was also told the code of practice also requires Departments to comply with their statutory duty under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 when making ministerial appointments to public bodies,” said Assemblyman Dr Coulter.