Poots warns ministers to ‘get on with the job’ and answer questions

Stormont ministers have been warned by the Speaker to “get on with the job” and answer written questions that are submitted to them.

Speaker Edwin Poots said he didn’t have “any truck” with ministers, stating they were busy, pointing out that when he was health minister, he had more questions to answer than anyone else and got through them.

He made the remarks following a complaint from SDLP MLA Justin McNulty that ministers were “deflecting” from their responsibilities in answering written questions from MLAs.

Mr McNulty raised a point of order at the Assembly on Tuesday, where he stated that answering questions was an official responsibility of ministers.

He added: “It is clear some ministers are in breach of that rule by answering questions with comments that certain issues that fall under their official purview are ‘operational matters’ or that questions should be redirected to statutory government bodies in their department to ‘make the best use of limited public resources’.

“Can I ask the Speaker for a ruling to stop ministers from trying to deflect and exonerate themselves from their responsibilities as ministers in answering questions to members who are seeking only to represent our constituents?”

Mr Poots said there already was a ruling on the issue, adding “ministers are expected to answer questions”.

He said: “I say this as a former health minister who, at that stage, I think I had six or seven times more questions to answer than any other minister.

“And we got through them.

“I don’t give any truck for ministers who are busy and all of that there; you take on the job, you take on the responsibility, you answer the questions.

“It is very clear to me that ministers are accountable to this House and this House is accountable to the people of Northern Ireland.

“Get on with the job and answer the questions.”

The Speaker added: “There are a few small cases, particularly with the Justice Minister, where it is operational matters, some of that stuff goes through the Policing Board.

“But let’s be very clear, those are the smaller number of cases, ministers should not be farming it out to various arms-length bodies to answer questions on their behalf.”