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McDevitt: Murphy U-turn on NI Water

SDLP Regional Development Spokesperson Conall McDevitt MLA has said Minister Conor Murphy has done a complete u-turn on his own policy having announced to bring NI Water back under the direct control of his department.

Mon 13th September

The South Belfast MLA said: “Conor Murphy appointed Professor Paddy Hilliard to advise on the future of water, but he seems to have forgotten that he accepted many of the professor’s recommendations, including that NI Water would remain a government owned company.

“Today he has announced a total u-turn of his own policy. He has also exposed Northern Ireland taxpayers to extra charges of up to £55million in VAT and possibly many more millions of pounds in capital charges in a move clearly designed to put Sinn Féin interests ahead of that of people in this region.

“The Minister has made an announcement which, by his own admission, he cannot deliver. There is not enough time before the next election for him to do so and he has not consulted the other parties or any of his non-Sinn Féin Executive colleagues on this and many will question the Minister’s motives in making this announcement.

“Is he really determined to get to the bottom of the crisis in his department or is he more concerned with pursuing his own ideological agenda?”