LISTEN: Stormont leaders fail to appoint new Civil Service chief

by Q Radio News

The First and Deputy First Ministers have failed to appoint a new Permanent Secretary of the Civil Service in Northern Ireland.

It follows a round of interviews where no candidates were selected.

The former head of the Civil Service, David Sterling announced his retirement at the end of last year after working there since the late 1970s.

Mr Sterling led the service through the three years of stalemate where no government sat at Stormont.

David Sterling

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Executive Office said: “The First Minister and deputy First Minister have not made an appointment following the recent competition for the Head of the Civil Service. Next steps are currently being considered.”

Chair of Stormont’s Executive Office scrutiny committee, Colin McGrath MLA says it's 'inconceivable' that a new appointment has not been made.

“It is incredible, given the extended notice period, that we’re now left in a situation where the joint First Ministers have been unable to appoint a replacement and the office of our most senior civil servant is vacant," he said.

“This speaks to total dysfunctionality. We’re in the middle of a global health pandemic, our economy is under severe pressure and we're facing the chaos of Brexit, this is a moment when we need government to operate efficiently and effectively. It is a serious concern that we will not have a Head of the Civil Service to implement Executive decisions quickly.

“The First Ministers need to explain what the interim arrangements will be, what the process for identifying a suitable replacement is and when we can expect an appointment for this important position. The Executive Office Committee will want information about this situation quickly."