Audit report slams NI Events Company

An investigation conducted by the Northern Ireland Audit Office has revealed that around £24,000 of hospitality was given away at events last year.

Deputy Chairperson of the Assembly Public Accounts Committee, west Belfast MLA Sue Ramsey, said that the audit report looked "bad for the company".

Ms Ramsey said: "The Audit report highlights the poor revenue generation of a number of events sponsored by the NI Events Company.

"In particular there appears to be a very high level of free tickets and corporate packages for events such as the Eagles Concert at Stormont where there were over 800 'freebies' and the Senior Golf Master in Coleraine where only 14% of visitors paid to see the tournament."

Ms Ramsey said that while the NI Events Company underwrote losses incurred by sponsored events, clearly if these were being deliberately built in then this was not in the public interest and did not represent the best use of public resources.

"Like all public bodies the NI Events Company has to be held to account and in many ways there appears to be not so much a problem with the people organising the events but with the way the NI Events Company set up criteria, make awards and monitor expenditure."

The report highlighted that around £14,000 worth of tickets had been handed out for the Eagles Concert last year.

The primary role of the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) is to provide independent assurance, information and advice to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

(SP)