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Earlier this month, a Stormont Committee report found former Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland had acted inappropriately in seeking to extend a Housing Executive contract with a maintenance firm, Red Sky.

It followed a lengthy inquiry, initiated by the Social Development Committee after allegations of political interference were made in a BBC Spotlight Programme.

The committee believed Mr McCausland sought to have a termination notice for the firm extended, despite being aware of the adverse findings of the Executive itself and independent reports into the company's performance, a decision the report said was "politically motivated".

It continued: "It is evident to the committee that regardless of a minister's views, or that of his party, these should not be enacted by seeking to change public contracts that are out with the authority of the minister - as the committee believes happened in this case."

The report also said there was a lack of an investigative process, independent of the political institutions in the assembly's ability to ensure ministerial accountability in the face of charges of misconduct.

The DUP has criticised the report, with the party's east Antrim MLA Sammy Wilson saying "the very fact that some committee members have sought to publish this report during an election is further evidence to it being a politically motivated witch-hunt from beginning to end".