Murphy's post on line as water crisis deepens
THE crisis enveloping Northern Ireland Water deepened yesterday as it emerged that more positions on the Board of Directors were in jeopardy.
Just three days after sacking Chairman Chris Mellor and non-executive directors Declan Gormley, John Ballard and Ruth Thompson, Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy said in a statement to the Assembly he was now considering the positions of two more NIW board members after a further investigation by the chief executive Laurence MacKenzie.
They are Finance Director Ronan Larkin and Director of Asset Management George Butler.
The investigation is to determine "which executives within the company should be held responsible for the failures in procurement governance and control", said Mr Murphy.
News of the latest threat to the semi-public company comes as Mr Gormley rounded on the Minister over the weekend and attacked his treatment following a review that led to the sackings.
Those were prompted by a report alleging failings in governance arrangements within the semi-public body which oversees Northern Ireland's water supply. The report has stated that major contracts were awarded without competitive tendering.
The developments of past days are the latest in a series of embarrassing blunders and revelations at Northern Ireland Water in recent years and MLA John Dallat said the Minister’s position should no longer be considered secure.
A member of the Assembly Public Accounts Committee and a former chair of the Audit Committee, Mr Dallat told the News Letter on Friday the situation was “embarrassing and disgusting”.
Calling yesterday for a full inquiry into the operation of the company, he said the issue was now a fundamental one.
“This is all public money and this Assembly came into being as a regional Parliament to be accountable and the very opposite seems to have happened,” he said.
Referring to several million pounds worth of contracts awarded apparently without a competitive tendering process he said answers must be found.
“Public procurement was the cornerstone of this Assembly. This is how we were going to encourage businesses and breed entrepreneurs and generally help develop the economy.
“There were displays up in the Long Gallery and all sorts of busybodies there encouraging you to apply for contracts. Now we find you had no chance; you were beat before you started.”
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Tuesday 14 February 2012
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