Ulster Unionist MLA for North Antrim, Robin Swann, has commented following the January monitoring round which exposed a £2 million shortfall in the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure due to the failure to secure a buyer for the former Public Records Office at Balmoral Avenue in South Belfast.

The Culture, Arts and Leisure Spokesperson commented: "The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) has moved to its new site at the Titanic Quarter and this is a unique service which provides a national archival institution for Northern Ireland. It has a record of many important artefacts, for example, it has a digitised archive of all the signatures of the Ulster Covenant.

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"This state of the art facility was budgeted for by the Department and has been delivered. However, the January monitoring round now highlights the lack of movement with regard to the sale of the old site at Balmoral Avenue. The 2011-12 departmental budget shows a -£2 million capital investment in PRONI and due to the fact this has not materialised there is now a substantial hole in the budget.

"I would urge the Minister to act in this particular area to ensure a resolution as we currently have premises worth upwards of £2 million not being utilised. The simple fact is that a sale needs to go ahead to balance the books and the Minister must recognise that, especially in times of economic hardship, all sales and acquisitions must be carried out in an efficient manner."

(CD/GK)