Civil service concerns at Paisley jnr lobbying

Local & National

Junior Minister Ian Paisley jnr: lobbied on land deal

Friday, January 18, 2008

By David Gordon

Lobbying by DUP Minister Ian Paisley jnr on a land deal sparked concerns at a senior level within the civil service, a former Government adviser has claimed.

And it is also believed that the issue was reported to the head of the civil service, Nigel Hamilton.

The internal concerns are understood to have related to protocols on keeping a politician's ministerial and constituency interests separate. Mr Paisley jnr has faced criticism from other politicians for continuing to lobby for a Government land sale after becoming a junior Stormont Minister in May.

The controversy involves a 96-acre site at Ballee, Ballymena, which a group of developers, including Seymour Sweeney, wanted to purchase. Mr Paisley jnr has insisted that his representations to SDLP Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie were made in his capacity as an MLA and not as a fellow Minister.

But SDLP leader Mark Durkan has alleged that contact with Ms Ritchie's office was made through Mr Paisley Jnr's ministerial office - a claim that has been denounced by the DUP politician.

In a further twist, Ms Ritchie's special adviser at the time, Brian Barrington, has now given his account of events.

When contacted by this newspaper in Dublin, Mr Barrington confirmed he was also spoken to by Mr Paisley jnr about the Ballee land issue, while working as a ministerial adviser.

Mr Barrington said: "I was phoned twice in one day by Ian Paisley jnr's ministerial private secretary, but I said on both occasions that I was not able to speak to him. He phoned me personally the next day and asked what was happening regarding the Ballee land."

Mr Barrington said he notified senior officials in the Department for Social Development (DSD) about the contacts. He said civil servants were " concerned" to ensure that ministerial facilities were not used for constituency matters.

"I understood from DSD officials at that time that the matter was referred to the head of the civil service who raised it with Mr Paisley jnr's office," he added.

Mr Barrington also stated that Ballee was the only issue Mr Paisley jnr raised with him during his time as Ms Ritchie's adviser.

Neither DSD nor Mr Hamilton's department, the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister, have commented on Mr Barrington's account.

Mr Paisley jnr has also not responded to Belfast Telegraph enquiries on the subject.

His representations on the Ballee site to Ms Ritchie were made shortly after the restoration of devolution. He complained to her in writing that her department was seeking an "extortionate" price for the land.

A £50m deal was subsequently agreed in June - £25m less than a valuation obtained by DSD at one stage.

Earlier this week, Mr Durkan alleged that calls from Mr Paisley jnr to DSD about Ballee were placed by his ministerial private office and private secretary.

The SDLP leader added: "The machinery of Government should not be used in the pursuit of constituency representations."

In a strongly-worded retort, the junior minister said Mr Durkan's claims were "not true".

Mr Paisley added: "There are proper procedures put in place that allow for my diaries to be combined - my private constituency work would be combined with ministerial duties.

"The only meetings that were arranged and calls that took place was a civil servant making that arrangement.

"I think it is pretty poor I must say - I don't mind Mark Durkan kicking me."