A decision by DUP minister Edwin Poots to rename his Stormont department's headquarters to mark the Queen's platinum jubilee should have been referred to the Executive, officials had advised.
Mr Poots changed the name of Ballykelly House outside Limavady in Co Derry to "Jubilee House" in June following the collapse of Stormont power-sharing.
The Agriculture Minister had been told in March a referral to the Executive was "required" because the matter was "likely to be considered controversial", according to a ministerial submission seen by Belfast Live.
Read more: DUP minister Edwin Poots' son faces watchdog hearing over 'conflicts in planning process'
A draft equality impact assessment also said consultation with trade union representatives would be "necessary before any policy decision on this is finalised" - but a union representative said no consultation took place.
Mr Poots has previously insisted that "process was properly adhered to" and his decision was "entirely proper and legitimate".
Unison's Niall McCarroll, chair of Derry Trades Union Council, said Mr Poots should apologise.
He said the minister only informing trade union representatives rather than consulting them "displays no thought or regard towards workers' rights and lacks an degree of decency".
"In the absence of proper consultation with Trade Union Side the renaming of Ballykelly House by Edwin Poots, which of course is a public building, has now been clearly shown to have been nothing more than smash-and-grab grandstanding and ego-feeding by the minister," he added.
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs said the views of ministerial colleagues were sought and trade union reps were "notified" of the decision before it was announced.
The building, a £21million facility opened 2018, is located on the former Shackleton Army Base on the banks of Lough Foyle.
Some £1,050 was spent on the renaming, which included a plaque of the new name declaring it was "unveiled by Edwin Poots" to celebrate late Queen Elizabeth II's 70 years as monarch.
Mr Poots first proposed the name change some months earlier and officials began work on considering the move.
A written submission to the minister in March said "referral to the Executive" was "considered required as likely to be considered controversial".
It advised that if Mr Poots did not consider the matter controversial, he should write to fellow caretaker ministers seeking their views.
Mr Poots wrote to other ministers and received responses from Sinn Fein Finance Minister Conor Murphy and Nichola Mallon, who was SDLP Infrastructure Minister at the time.
Mr Murphy told Mr Poots "it is not within your remit to rename the building", arguing that Ballykelly House was a Department of Finance asset.
But Mr Poots responded saying the departmental solicitor's office had confirmed the legal title was held by DAERA.
No further response was received from Mr Murphy, but in a subsequent press statement Sinn Fein said the renaming was a "matter for DAERA" and the Department of Finance "has not opposed this".
Ms Mallon said the decision "might be considered significant and/or controversial and therefore might require Executive referral" but told Mr Poots "ultimately it is up to you to conclude whether or not it would be appropriate".
An equality screening exercise said the decision could "raise sensitivity" for nationalist members of staff, but was "not expected to have a direct impact on the staff who work there".
A draft equality impact assessment said DAERA recognises that consultation with staff is "important".
"Consequently, engagement and consultation with Trade Union Side within the department will be necessary before any policy decision on this is finalised," it added.
A subsequent ministerial submission in May reminded Mr Poots that previous papers advised of the "potential need for Executive referral" and summarised the "issues and risks" for the minister to consider.
A DAERA spokeswoman said: "Prior to making a decision, the DAERA minister sought the views of ministerial colleagues on the need for Executive referral for the proposal to rename the building.
"Departmental Trade Union Side were notified of the minister's decision prior to it being announced."
READ NEXT:
- Michelle O'Neill says suspended DUP councillor's remarks part of 'diatribe' faced by women online
- Cost to public of DUP's Edwin Poots renaming department HQ for Queen's platinum jubilee
- DUP minister Edwin Poots' son faces watchdog hearing over 'conflicts in planning process'
- DUP's Edwin Poots tells NI secretary Brandon Lewis to 'bring it on' after MLA pay cut warning
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.
