The Northern Ireland minister has made clear that domestic water charges will not be imposed in the region, the Department of Infrastructure relayed in a pre-emptive statement to an upcoming Assembly discussion. The minister, John O’Dowd of Sinn Féin, has dismissed the idea of water charges for households as a viable means to fund NI Water’s future.
The Assembly is set to discuss the difficulties plaguing NI Water, highlighting the existing water and waste infrastructure’s inability to satisfy present and upcoming demand. An Ulster Unionist-proposed motion is calling for a comprehensive plan concerning the restructure of NI Water, with the aspect of mutualisation under consideration.
Noting that the water infrastructure challenges were due to long-standing underfunding of basic public services by sequential Conservative governments, O’Dowd stated that imposing charges on workers and families for a fundamental public service is not the solution. He expressed confidence that by rightly valuing and adequately funding vital services like water, a solution could be found.
There have been previous suggestions to impose water charges in Northern Ireland, although these would not be widely welcomed. Chris Heaton-Harris, the Northern Secretary at the time, proposed a consultation on water charges last year as a possible measure to increase revenue.
Yet with the re-establishment of Northern Ireland’s devolved government, such decisions would now be made at Stormont instead of Westminster. Michelle O’Neill, the First Minister, had stated her stark opposition to water charges to the BBC earlier in February, asserting you can’t overburden those facing a cost-of-living crisis with more household bills while services are deteriorating.
Discussions on a sustainable long-term funding model for Northern Ireland with the UK Treasury are currently underway. It was highlighted in a recent report by the Northern Ireland Audit Office that the funding of water infrastructure has suffered from prolonged underinvestment relative to other areas of the UK and recent financial constraints, something that needs addressing for a functional and modern network.
As per the assertions of Dorinnia Carville, Audit General, inadequate investment is posing serious threats, resulting in hindered expansion in 100 territories, inclusive of 25 towns and cities, on account of insufficient provisions for sewerage and wastewater amenities. Her report advises the Department and NI Water to conduct a broad-ranging analysis of alternate financing and management structures, spearheaded by duly skilled specialists. Furthermore, she underlined the pressing need for securing apt funding for crucial infrastructure, emphasising it as an extensive issue which transcends the boundaries of just water systems. Highlighting the need for crucial stakeholders to act proactively, she called for establishment of suitable systems that aim to efficaciously co-ordinate and manage infrastructure investing all across Northern Ireland.