The latest report from the Northern Ireland Assembly Public Accounts Committee’s (PAC) on Major Capital Projects criticised an overspend of more than £3bn.
Responding to the report’s publication, Murtagh said: “Nobody wants to see this kind of overspend on capital projects, especially our members in the NICS. “These projects have progressed against a backdrop of political instability at Stormont, in which we haven’t had a functioning Executive for the majority of the past 8 years. The fact this coincided with a period of rapid inflation in recent years created a perfect storm leading to the kind of overspend we’ve seen. “It’s obviously right for the PAC to review why this has happened and our members will welcome steps to prevent this kind of overspend in the future. The NICS has already undertaken a review of the root causes for delays and cost overruns and implemented recommendations from previous reports from the NIAO and PAC on major capital projects. “However, this isn’t something the civil service can address on its own – it requires political leadership. When the Committee speaks about a need to review leadership, it’s unfair to point the finger solely a civil servants. It is ministers who are elected by the public to deliver on these projects and they need to take responsibility.”
His comments were featured in Civil Service World.
This week, the FDA attended the 2026 TUC Congress in Brighton. FDA delegates spoke to and moved motions on a range of topics, including the review of the civil service, supporting effective management, accountability and safe contracting in the NHS, and the importance of an evidence-led approach to regulation.
Yesterday, FDA staff and reps attended the 2026 Fast Stream annual Base Camp, welcoming this year’s new joiners to the scheme and sharing the benefits of FDA membership with them.
The FDA’s National Officer for Northern Ireland Robert Murtagh has written to Speaker of the Assembly, Edwin Poots, asking him to remind MLAs that when officials appear before the Assembly, impartiality must not be brought into question.
