NI Water funding model ‘not fit for purpose’

27/11/2024

The Minister for Infrastructure, John O’Dowd appeared on  BBC’s The View last week to discuss the ongoing NI Water crisis. The evidence presented by RSUA and CEF at the Infrastructure Committee meeting last month was put to the Minister, who acknowledged that although NI Water “faces challenges”, he believes the current funding model is fit for purpose.

CEF Chief Executive Mark Spence, appearing on BBC NI’s Sunday Politics programme said, “the 50,000 people on the waiting list for a home in Northern Ireland dispute that”, in response to the Minister. 

He highlighted CEF’s recent survey of homebuilders which made clear that current wastewater capacity constraints are holding up some 8,450 homes equating to just under £1bn of investment. When coupled with the proposals of housing associations and other developers, approximately 19,000 homes are today unable to proceed. That figure doubles again to 37,000 if you factor in the number of housing enquiries that NI Water have received.

CEF again reiterated full support for the call in the NI Audit Office report of March 2024 for the Department of Infrastructure to establish a “comprehensive review of alternative arrangements, led by suitably qualified experts” of NI Water’s governance and funding.

Mark Spence was joined by Seamus Leheny, from the Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations, who said 400 houses were built in Londonderry in 2022 under a commitment that a sewage connection would be delivered by November 2025. NI Water have been unable to provide a timeline for this.

You can watch the Sunday Politics programme here with the section on NI Water commencing at 11:35.

You can read BBC’s summary of the programme here.