Mid and East Antrim Council: Watchdog cannot investigate self-referral

NIPSO says it is "unable to investigate the complaint as it came from the council"

Mid and East Antrim Council's self-referral to a public services watchdog cannot be investigated.

The NI Public Services Ombudsman (NIPSO) has said it does not have the jurisdiction to look at the complaints.

The council referred itself for investigation in September following claims representatives "misled" an inquiry and "suppressed" information.

Stormont's Agriculture Committee was looking into a decision to remove Larne port staff in February.

It later found there was "limited justification" to remove the workers.

At the time, Mid and East Antrim Council said it took the decision to remove staff from Larne Port after it received a threat assessment from the police

The motion for the local authority to refer itself for investigation was brought by the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV).

The party said there was a "suspicion" that information which should have been in the report had been "suppressed" from the committee's probe.

A Stormont report had previously cited concerns over the "quality and credibility" of some of the council's evidence due to "several contradictions and inconsistencies".

• Council to refer itself to watchdog over Larne port

• Why were Northern Ireland port checks suspended?

However NIPSO has said it is "unable to investigate the complaint as it came from the council, which is a listed authority under the ombudsman's jurisdiction, rather than a person aggrieved".

"A public body under NIPSO's remit (such as the council) can refer a complaint to us, however the complaint must first have been made to it by a person aggrieve," it added.