McGlone: So many things Conor Murphy didn’t know

SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone, who sits on the Assembly Public Accounts Committee, said inquiries into the goings-on at NI Water are increasingly being met with the response that Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy didn’t know, was not aware or had not been informed, not even when his officials were discussing water charges.

He said: “The events in and around NI Water are unprecedented, not least the establishment of a supposedly independent Review Team, the firing of three board members of NI Water and the suspension of Conor Murphy’s top civil servant. But when we try to piece together what the Minister knew and when he knew it, we are hitting some brick walls.

“It seems the Minister was unaware of email traffic between his Department and the Review Team on the conclusions his civil servants would like the team to reach. He was also unaware that they were suggesting the Review Team should make recommendations to the Executive on water charges, which Conor Murphy says he opposes.

“When the Chief Executive of NI Water wanted to resign, his officials discussed withdrawal of the resignation with the people concerned but kept no record of their conversations. The Chief Executive saw the first draft of the Review Team’s report and expressed his satisfaction but the Minister didn’t see the report.

“This is a government department in absolute upheaval – no other Permanent Secretary has been suspended for more than half a century. Going by his replies to my questions it certainly doesn’t sound as if he is on top of the problem. The Three Wise Monkeys are a not good model for running a government department. ”

ENDS