Ian Paisley dinner saw council sponsor £1,500 table

DUP MP Ian Paisley asked Causeway Coast and Glens council to attend a dinner event which saw it sponsor a £1,500 table, a special meeting of the council has heard.
By The Newsroom
Published 25th Sep 2018, 07:35 BST
Updated 25th Sep 2018, 11:23 BST
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The NI Auditor’s office is looking into the payment for a September 2017 event in Tullyglass Hotel in Ballymena, as part of a wider audit of the local authority. It will make recommendations later.

Sinn Féin Mayor of the local authority, Brenda Chivers, said she called the special meeting on Monday night because of concerns that the council had purchased “a table to a DUP fundraiser” the BBC reported.

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Director of leisure and development, Richard Baker, told councillors that Mr Paisley had phoned the council with an invite to the dinner, which was attended by the Environment Secretary Michael Gove.

Ian Paisley MP asked the council to pay for a table. Photo: Presseye/Stephen HamiltonIan Paisley MP asked the council to pay for a table. Photo: Presseye/Stephen Hamilton
Ian Paisley MP asked the council to pay for a table. Photo: Presseye/Stephen Hamilton

In a letter previously seen by the BBC, the council said the “spend level for attendance” at the dinner “did not require councillors’ agreement in accordance with council’s procurement policy and specifically the delegated responsibility to officers”.

Council chief executive David Jackson was asked whether officers from the local authority “felt let down by the creative invitation from Mr Paisley?”