Officers’ Declarations of Interest

Declarations of Interest

A conflict of interest is an actual or perceived situation in which your personal and family interests, or your business/property interests or connections, may (or may appear to) influence your decision making.

Conflicts of interest can come in a number of forms eg. direct financial gain or benefit, the award of a contract in which you, a friend or relative has an interest and from which you (or they) will receive a financial benefit, or alternatively indirect financial gain such as employment by the Council of your spouse or partner/family member or when the Council’s decisions or policies affect an organisation of which you are a member.

Conflicts or potential conflicts of interest can and do arise in our work. It is not appropriate to use a public position or resources to deal with private matters or pursue private interests. All staff have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way which protects the public interest.

It is essential that staff avoid any conflict or perception of conflict in their dealings with colleagues, clients, other organisations, elected members of Council, or members of the public. Key areas in which the risk of this is most acute are recruitment, promotion, training, procurement, grant funding, planning and staff appraisal where choices or decisions should be made on merit.

Council has established a Register of Interests for staff which allows actual or potential conflicts of interest to be identified more easily. Senior Officers and members of staff in high risk posts are expected to complete a mandatory declaration of interest and other members of staff who believe they have a conflict of interest are required to complete a voluntary declaration of interest.

The Northern Ireland Audit Office provides a useful in-depth Good Practice Guide on Conflicts of Interest which is available at www.niauditoffice.gov.uk

Senior Officers’ Declarations of Interest

Newry, Mourne and Down District Council has adopted the Information Commissioner Office’s (ICO’s) Model Publication Scheme setting out its commitment to proactively publish information. The Publication Scheme commits Council to make information available to the public as part of its normal business activities. Council has also adopted the ICO’s Definition Document for Councils in Northern Ireland which gives examples of the kinds of information the ICO expects Council to provide in order to meet its commitments under the Model Publication Scheme.

In relation to Senior Officers’ Declarations of Interest the ICO expects Council to publish information which should include the names, departments, sections and job titles of all officers who have made entries. Senior Officers are defined as members of Council’s Senior and Corporate Management Teams, essentially the Chief Executive, Directors and Assistant Directors of Council. In relation to the Chief Executive, information recorded in the professional element of the register should also be disclosed subject to consideration of the UK GDPR.

The table below presents the information relating to Senior Officers’ Declarations of Interest as of 28 November 2022.

*In relation to the Chief Executive the entry in relation to the professional element of the register is recorded as “n/a”.

For further details of the Council’s Publication Scheme please click here