Paul Givan has been urged to explain “sudden personnel changes” among senior staff at the Department of Education, which in recent weeks have included the temporary replacement of his department’s most senior civil servant.
The DUP minister’s department confirmed on Friday that Ronnie Armour had been appointed as interim permanent secretary, replacing Mark Browne.
The circumstances of Mr Browne’s absence from his desk in recent weeks are not known.
Nick Mathison, the Alliance chair of Stormont’s education committee, said there was “uncertainty” around recent appointments at the Department of Education.
“Openness, transparency, and accountability are of paramount importance at all levels of government, including in the appointment of senior staff within executive departments,” he said.
“Clarity around when we will have a permanent official in post as permanent secretary must be established as a matter of urgency, and the Minister must provide this without delay.”
A call from Oppostion leader Matthew O’Toole for the “need for robust accountability and transparency on what exactly is going on” at Mr Givan’s department came as the DUP minister faced further scrutiny around the appointment of party colleague Mervyn Storey as chair of the board of the Education Authority.
Mr Storey, a former executive minister and one-time chair of Stormont’s education committee who lost his assembly seat in 2022, was selected from a total of 16 applicants for the role that pays a salary of up to £60,000 for a minimum of three days a week work.
The open recruitment process was initially conducted by Clarendon Executive, which handled advertising the post and processed applications, with the Department of Education responsible for shortlisting, interviewing, selection and appointment.
The department said the position was “widely advertised... to encourage the broadest possible field of candidates”.
Mr Storey did not respond when contacted by The Irish News.
Sinn Féin education spokesperson Pat Sheehan said Mr Storey’s role as a former DUP minister, ex-MLA and current councillor “raises obvious questions” for Mr Givan.
“The education minister has a responsibility to demonstrate a clear commitment to transparency and independence in the oversight and management of our education system which must serve equally and fairly all sections of our community.
“I will be raising these important questions and concerns at the education committee.”
Mr Givan said his party colleague’s appointment had been made “in accordance with the principles and practices of the code of practice of the Commissioner for Public Appointments”.
However, any concerns raised by the public about the appointment cannot be investigated because the commissioner’s post had been vacant for three and a half years.
The Executive Office (TEO), which is responsible for recruiting the public appointments watchdog, did not respond to questions from The Irish News about the appointment of a new commissioner.
In February, TEO said the first and deputy ministers would “shortly be considering plans for the way forward”.
Mr O’Toole said the “opaque and eyebrow raising” nature of Mr Storey’s appointment against the more than three-year absence of a commissioner for public appointments was “questionable”.
The South Belfast and North Down MLA also highlighted the timing of the appointment, just ahead of the assembly’s Christmas recess, which he said had parallels with Mr Givan’s appointment of Education Authority chief executive Richard Pengelly ahead of this year’s Easter break
“Mervyn Storey may have experience of education policy, but he is also a serving DUP politician being appointed to a public role just as Stormont breaks up for Christmas,” he said.
“It comes after the same minister pushed through the appointment of a chief executive in unusual circumstances just before the Easter break.
“Added to this are the sudden personnel changes at the top of the Education Department, and there is clearly a need for robust accountability and transparency on what exactly is going on.”
