STATEMENT FROM CHAIR OF ASSEMBLY PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE INQUIRY INTO NORTHERN IRELAND WATER

The Chairperson of the Northern Ireland Assembly Public Accounts Committee, Paul Maskey MLA, today commented on coverage of the Committee’s ongoing inquiry into performance and governance issues at Northern Ireland Water.

Mr Maskey explained “My role as Chairperson is to represent the Committee’s views. Although the Committee began its inquiry into issues at the water company in June, the Committee has not yet formed a view or drawn conclusions due to the Assembly’s summer recess.

The Committee is still drawing in evidence for its inquiry, and it would be wrong for me to comment on the matter before the Committee has returned to work and considered the evidence in full . “

The Committee took evidence from NI Water and the Department for Regional Development (DRD) on 24 June about performance issues in NI Water and on 1 July about governance arrangements.

ENDS

The PAC Committee members are:

Alliance	Mr Trevor Lunn
Democratic Unionist Party	Mr Jim Shannon 7
	Mr Stephen Moutray 12
	Mr David Hilditch 6,10
	The Lord Browne 3,4,5,9,11
Sinn Fein	Mr Paul Maskey (Chairperson) 2
	Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Social Democratic and Labour Party	Mr John Dallat
	Mr Patsy McGlone 1,8
Ulster Unionist Party	Mr Roy Beggs (Deputy Chairperson)
Progressive Unionist Party	Ms Dawn Purvis

1 With effect from 04 March 2008 Mr Thomas Burns replaced Mr Patsy McGlone.
2 With effect from 20 May 2008 Mr Paul Maskey replaced Mr John O'Dowd.
3 With effect from 1 October 2007 Mr Mickey Brady replaced Mr Willie Clarke.
4 With effect from 21 January 2008 Mr Ian McCrea replaced Mr Mickey Brady.
5 With effect from Tuesday 27 May 08 Mr Jim Wells replaced Mr Ian McCrea.
6 with effect from 15 September 2008 Mr George Robinson replaced Mr Simon Hamilton.
7 with effect from 15 September 2008 Mr Jim Shannon replaced Mr David Hilditch.
8 with effect from 29 June 2009 Mr Patsy McGlone replaced Mr Thomas Burns.
9 with effect from 18 September 2009 Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson replaced Mr Jim Wells.
10 with effect from 18 September 2009 Mr David Hilditch replaced Mr George Robinson.
11 On 19 April 2010 The Lord Browne replaced Rt Hon Jeffrey Donaldson.
12 On 19 April 2010 Mr Stephen Moutray replaced Mr Jonathan Craig.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Caroline Moore
Communications Office
Northern Ireland Assembly
Tel. 028 9052 1806/1137
Mobile 07900 053926
Email: caroline.moore @niassembly.gov.uk