Pressure is growing for the role of the minister in charge of NortKathryn Johnston
hern Ireland Water to be made part of an independent investigation into the failure
of supplies.
Conor Murphy, the regional development minister with responsibility for Northern
Ireland Water (NIW), is this week to announce the timeframe and terms of reference
of an inquiry, as well as the identity of who will carry it out.
A spokesman for his department said last night (Jan 1) that Murphy would bring a report to
the executive in the coming days, "setting out his proposals for a full
investigation into NI Water's response". This appears to place his own department
above the inquiry. "We've all been a bit reluctant to pin it down, but Murphy is not
on top of his brief. His inquiry will only deflect blame from himself," said Dr
Alasdair McDonnell, the SDLP MP for Belfast South, whose constituency was among the
worst affected when water supplies broke down after last week's thaw.
Naomi Long, the deputy leader of the Alliance party, Conall McDevitt of the SDLP,
and Jim Allister, the leader of the TUV, have also called for Murphy's role to be
scrutinised as part of the inquiry.
Allister, a barrister, warned that any inquiry that exempted Murphy from scrutiny
could be legally challenged, and called for the minister's resignation. He also
urged the Northern Ireland utility regulator to step in and ensure proper procedure.
"It is Minister Murphy who is responsible for this sham. He's going to be the judge
and jury in a matter where he should be the defendant," said Allister.
"There could be a judicial review when we see the terms of reference, a challenge as
to whether it is a reasonable thing for him to do."
McDevitt, the SDLP's spokesman on regional development, said: "This cannot be Conor
Murphy's inquiry. It must be independent of NI Water, of the department and of
Murphy.
"Murphy has dismissed two chief executives and the entire board and appointed
replacements," he said.
"It is not acceptable that such a minister can say that he bears no responsibility.
By definition the inquiry must include the minister and if it was established by the
Department of Regional Development it would be a waste of public money."
Long said that she saw no point in Murphy resigning, since he would be replaced by a
party colleague, but insisted that he should be included in the inquiry. "I don't
feel that you can divorce the performance of NI Water [from the minister]," she
said. "It may be an arm's-length body, but it is publicly owned."
On Friday night, vandals opened valves on bowsers in Tyrone and emptied out nearly
5,000 gallons (22,730 litres) of water. About 2,000 homes in the area are without a
supply. NIW had filled bowsers at Gortgonis Park, Coalisland, on Friday for the
weekend.
Francie Molloy, an MLA for Mid-Ulster, condemned those responsible. "Strangers
didn't come in to do this," he said. "It was local people and it's the local people
that are being deprived of vital water."
Some 2,600 properties in Northern Ireland remain off supply, NIW said yesterday.
This represents a slight decrease from Friday.
"Any inquiry commissioned by him will not be able to be fully independent of all the key
decision-makers, and it must be."
So far Martin McGuinness, the deputy first minister, has expressed full confidence
in his Sinn Féin colleague. He and Peter Robinson, the first minister, stood
shoulder to shoulder with Murphy at a press conference last week at which the two
leaders put the blame for the water-supply crisis on NIW. McDevitt
NIW said it has 500 staff on the ground dealing with supply issues, and is checking
for leakage in private and commercial premises.
"With an improving situation at reservoirs it is hoped that the rotational cuts will
be reduced," a company statement said .
About 12,000 people in the Belfast area whose water was being turned on and off
every hour got a full supply back yesterday.
Louth county council has agreed to supply water from its treatment plant in Dundalk
to its neighbouring local authority across the border in Newry and Mourne.
Initially, 10 tanker-loads of water will be transported by NI Water from Dundalk
each day with the supply under continual review .
Des Foley, director of services at Louth county council, said: "This co-operation
between local authorities reflects the unprecedented challenges being faced around
water supply."
