Role of FOI legislation in Minister’s downfall - Belfast Telegraph

Role of FOI legislation in Minister's downfall

[Published: Tuesday 19, February 2008 - 08:12]

Even the latest revelations, concerning constituency office rental expenses, had their roots in an FOI request by the Belfast Telegraph. The Assembly was last week finalising an official response to this FOI query, which involved rent claims by each MLA.

Draft details were circulated to members for a final check ahead of the official release.

Eyebrows were raised at the figures for the two Paisleys - almost three times the next highest total. It is understood DUP figures made their own inquiries and discovered a Seymour Sweeney connection.

This involved both a directorship in the company, Sarcon no 250, that owned the Church Street building and Mr Sweeney having obtained the mortgage for the property purchase last summer.

Smarting from their surprise Dromore by-election defeat, senior party figures were said to be furious.

As details leaked out to this newspaper and others, they proved a Sweeney link too far.

Mr Paisley Jnr made a last ditch bid to fight his corner, asserting that Mr Sweeney had only been briefly involved in Sarcon no 250 and had received no rent.

But the Minister's attempted assurance carried with it the revelation that the firm had been transferred to his father-in-law, and was getting its mortgage paid through MLA allowances.

Just yesterday, the Assembly made its official freedom of information disclosure on the rent payments.

The Paisleys did top the list with £28,600 each per year for their Church Street office.

The next highest was Nigel Dodds with £20,000 for two offices in different parts of his north Belfast constituency.

FOI has played a key role throughout the Sweeney links controversy.

MEP Jim Allister landed a major blow last month with the disclosure from the Northern Ireland Office on lobbying at the 2006 St Andrews talks.

Two of the six items on the Paisley Jnr shopping list considered by Tony Blair were linked to Mr Sweeney.

An FOI disclosure to this newspaper late last year also exposed the full extent of the MLA's lobbying on the Giant's Causeway visitor debate.

Then there was that 2003 letter to the Heritage Lottery Fund protesting about a grant refusal for the Sweeney Causeway scheme.

Written in Ian Paisley Snr's name, but apparently signed by his son, it wrongly claimed that the developer had secured the approval of world heritage body Unesco.

This letter was made public through a Belfast Telegraph FOI request. Ian Paisley Snr angrily attacked the use of the Act by "lazy journalists" .

His thoughts on the legislation are unlikely to have mellowed since then.

 
 

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