Stormont’s spending on business flights is ‘completely disconnected’

Stormont ministers have spent almost £35,000 on business class flights since Northern Ireland’s devolved government was reinstated in February.

This figure is more than double the amount spent on economy class air travel.

One assembly member called the spending “completely out of touch.”

Stormont officials said traveling business class helps ministers prepare for their engagements and that bookings are made in accordance with travel policies.

More than £48,000 was spent on 94 flights for ministers, according to responses to BBC News NI, under the Freedom of Information Act.

This included 39 business class flights costing more than £34,600.

More than £12,100 was spent on 54 economy trips and £1,871 on a premium economy flight.

The Stormont department with the highest spending was the Executive Office, led by First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly.

He spent £19,872 on 38 flights for the prime and deputy prime ministers.

Most of the spending was on business class flights, with 21 booked at a cost of almost £16,200.

They included business class flights between Dublin and Washington DC in March, ahead of St Patrick’s Day celebrations.

The head of the civil service Jayne Brady made the trip to the United States on economics.

In August, O’Neill was returning from a holiday in Portugal when the Stormont assembly was recalled in response to disorder in the streets of Belfast.

Two economy class flights for Sinn Féin’s deputy leader between Belfast and Faro were paid for by the executive office, figures show.

The Communities Minister had five business class flights available at a cost of £6,609. They included trips to London, Washington and Toronto.

Gordon Lyons said in November he was “shocked and surprised” when he learned the overall cost of his trip to the United States and Canada.

The Irish News reported that more than £40,000 was spent on the nine-day visit involving five of his officials.

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) assembly member Lyons told the BBC’s Nolan Show that procurement practices should be examined to ensure “good value for money”.

Economy Minister Conor Murphy had seven business class flights available costing almost £6,500, with destinations including Chicago and Singapore.

There were also 17 economy class flights costing £3,490, including trips to New York, London and Berlin.

Education Minister Paul Givan traveled business class on all six of his flights during this period, at a cost of more than £5,300.

People Before Profit assembly member Gerry Carroll described the Stormont leader’s spending on business class flights as “completely out of touch with ordinary people”.

He said spending on O’Neill’s flights between Belfast and Faro was “inappropriate” and questions remained over Lyon’s trip to the United States and Canada.

“Ministers should drive the economy, as should the vast majority of voters they represent,” he added.

“They should also think about the broader purpose of their foreign visits and whether environmentally destructive air travel is really necessary in the first place.”

All four Northern Ireland executive departments whose ministers were traveling business class have been contacted for comment.

The Economy Ministry said the ministerial role “involves the representation of our commercial, investment and business interests in many parts of the world.”

A spokesperson said the majority of the minister’s flights were economy class.

“On occasion, the Minister has flown business class in order to prepare for a busy period of commitments, which often start immediately upon his arrival, or to prepare the business of the Department/Assembly for his return,” he added.

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “All departments must book all business travel, including accommodation and flights, using departmental travel offices.

“All travel requests are made and approved in accordance with the NICS (Northern Ireland Civil Service) travel policy and booked through the travel management company.”

The Executive Office and the Department of Communities have also been contacted for comment.