20/03/2013
New Report Criticises Housing Executive
Northern Ireland's Housing Executive (NIHE) has been heavily criticised over the way it has managed maintenance contracts, according to a new Stormont report.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the Housing Executive was "out of control" in the way it managed the multi-million pound contracts, adding that it exposed the organisation to a significant risk of fraud.
The Department for Social Development was also criticised in the PAC report, which oversees the NIHE, regarding the organisation's management of £50m-a-year deals with contractors to carry out maintenance work on its 90,000 houses.
The latest report follows a number of critical reports regarding the Housing Executive.
Speaking about the report, Chairperson of the PAC Michaela Boyle, said the report exposed a "catalogue of failures".
She said: "We know that most Housing Executive staff, overseeing those businesses contracted to respond to maintenance needs, are diligent and hard working.
"However, we found that the management and oversight of this service has been abjectly poor - so poor that it calls into question the capability and competence of management within the Housing Executive over many years, particularly at a senior level.
"We would even go so far as to say that it would appear that some members of senior management actively undermined the systems of control that had been put in place."
The report also revealed that the committee had raised concerns about the performance of the Housing Executive's management after issues were raised by a whistle-blower. These reviews had been ongoing since 2008.
It also claimed there appeared to be a culture within the Housing Executive that discouraged staff from raising concerns; including the use of IT to attempt to identify the whistle-blower.
Ms Boyle added: "The practices we found give the impression that staff who raise concerns in the course of their work or in a whistle-blowing capacity will not be supported or protected.
"I want to put this on the record - discouraging whistle-blowing or creating the perception that whistle-blowers are not welcome is simply unacceptable."
Last year's audit came after the Housing Executive's contract with the Red Sky maintenance company was terminated in 2011. This followed claims of substandard work and financial irregularities.
(JP)
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the Housing Executive was "out of control" in the way it managed the multi-million pound contracts, adding that it exposed the organisation to a significant risk of fraud.
The Department for Social Development was also criticised in the PAC report, which oversees the NIHE, regarding the organisation's management of £50m-a-year deals with contractors to carry out maintenance work on its 90,000 houses.
The latest report follows a number of critical reports regarding the Housing Executive.
Speaking about the report, Chairperson of the PAC Michaela Boyle, said the report exposed a "catalogue of failures".
She said: "We know that most Housing Executive staff, overseeing those businesses contracted to respond to maintenance needs, are diligent and hard working.
"However, we found that the management and oversight of this service has been abjectly poor - so poor that it calls into question the capability and competence of management within the Housing Executive over many years, particularly at a senior level.
"We would even go so far as to say that it would appear that some members of senior management actively undermined the systems of control that had been put in place."
The report also revealed that the committee had raised concerns about the performance of the Housing Executive's management after issues were raised by a whistle-blower. These reviews had been ongoing since 2008.
It also claimed there appeared to be a culture within the Housing Executive that discouraged staff from raising concerns; including the use of IT to attempt to identify the whistle-blower.
Ms Boyle added: "The practices we found give the impression that staff who raise concerns in the course of their work or in a whistle-blowing capacity will not be supported or protected.
"I want to put this on the record - discouraging whistle-blowing or creating the perception that whistle-blowers are not welcome is simply unacceptable."
Last year's audit came after the Housing Executive's contract with the Red Sky maintenance company was terminated in 2011. This followed claims of substandard work and financial irregularities.
(JP)
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