Consumer Council Identifies Irregular Payments To Some Staff
Friday 25 March 2011
The Consumer Council has identified through an independent audit that irregular salary payments amounting to £230,000 have been made to a total of 29 staff over a six year period.
Antoinette McKeown, Chief Executive of the Consumer Council said: “The Consumer Council can confirm that irregular salary payments were made to some staff. I want to apologise to consumers that this situation has happened. It shouldn’t have happened and as Chief Accounting Officer I am fully committed to resolving this matter promptly and ensuring that it doesn’t happen again.
We know that NI citizens expect us to manage their money well and we didn’t on this specific issue. The Consumer Council is totally focussed on managing public money effectively across all areas of our remit on behalf of consumers and we will work to rebuild confidence amongst the Northern Ireland public.
We are also working with our sponsoring Government Department, Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) to address these issues. Because of this and our duty of care as an employer, the Consumer Council is mindful of contractual and legal implications for staff involved – therefore, we cannot say more at this time.
However, I can give an absolute commitment that whilst we work to resolve this current issue, we will not be deflected in our core mission to represent and speak up for consumers in Northern Ireland.”
- Consumer Council media contact: Irene Overend - telephone 028 9067 4816 or e-mail ioverend@consumercouncil.org.uk or Pauline Gordon – telephone 028 9067 4807 or 07909 972704, email pgordon@consumercouncil.org.uk
- The Consumer Council is an independent consumer organisation, working to bring about change to benefit Northern Ireland’s consumers. The Council campaigns for high standards of service and protection and a fair deal for all. It also carries out research, gives advice and publishes reports and other publications. It deals with individual complaints about buses, trains, planes, ferries, natural gas, electricity, coal and water.
- For more information, visit our website at www.consumercouncil.org.uk
