PRESS RELEASE

19 March 2009

PAC/10/08/09

TAXPAYERS FOOT THE BILL WHEN UTILITIES FAIL TO RESTORE STREETS

Taxpayers have been left to pick up the bill after utility companies fail to restore the streets after completing repairs. That’s a key finding of the Public Accounts Committees newly published report Road Openings by Utilities

Commenting on the report, Mr Paul Maskey MLA, Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee said, “It is unacceptable to find, as we did in this report, that taxpayers are still footing the bill for reinstatement of streets. We are particularly disappointed as this issue was dealt with in a previous PAC report in 2002. At that time, t he Committee had been given undertakings which it expected to be implemented in full. We are concerned to learn that there are many areas where actions have not fully measured up to what was promised.

“I am also unhappy at the lack of consultation and the lax approach taken by the utilities in complying with established procedures in co-ordinating the street works to minimise disruption. This is clearly unacceptable. Roads Service needs to do more to police the utilities’ actions and ensure better co-ordination with those affected by street works . This is particularly important in the current economic climate and the impact which these works can have on business.”

The Report also found that there had been improvements to the quality of the utilities street reinstatement since the original report in 2002, following new Department targets. However, the Committee criticised the targets as not challenging and considered that Road Service should be moving towards a significant tightening.

Mr Maskey continued, “What was particularly frustrating to see is that, even when faulty reinstatements were discovered, there was an alarmingly low rate of follow-up. Again, I find myself saying that this is completely unacceptable and sends out entirely the wrong message to the utilities.”

Also concerning the Committee was the way that the Department had used its powers to inspect, investigate and report on utilities’ reinstatement performance.

Mr Maskey concluded, “ In no area of government that this Committee has investigated to date, have members been so aware of the gulf between officials’ views of what they are achieving and the perception of the public and elected representatives.

“I believe that Roads Service needs to give itself a reality check, recognise the shortcomings in its service and take on board and implement the recommendations arising from this report. To return to this Committee again with such excuses and poor performance on so many aspects of its operation will simply not be accepted.”

ENDS.

Notes to Editor:

1. The report found that there was a significant degree of under-sampling in respect of Category A (Progress Inspection, those undertaken during the progress of the reinstatement works) inspections due to high levels of road openings being undertaken on an emergency or urgent basis. The Committee was particularly concerned that utilities could be using this classification as a means of avoiding inspections.

2. The Committee also found that, despite utilities having a statutory requirement to notify all road openings in advance, a pattern of late notifications, particularly by NI Water, remained. It therefore considered Road Service to be complacent on this issue as it had not prosecuted even a single utility for either late or non-notification. It said that such conduct sent out entirely the wrong message and created a climate in which the threat of fining utilities had no practical deterrent effect.

3. Standing Orders under Section 60(3) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 have provided for the establishment of the Public Accounts Committee (the Committee). The main statutory function of the Committee is to consider accounts and the reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland (C&AG) laid before the Northern Ireland Assembly.

4. The C&AG is head of the Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) and is empowered to investigate any area of expenditure and has a statutory right of access to all files and papers in Departments and public bodies.

The PAC Committee members are:-

Alliance	Mr Trevor Lunn
Democratic Unionist Party	Mr Jim Shannon 6
	Mr Jonathan Craig
	Mr George Robinson 7
	Mr Jim Wells 3,4,5
Sinn Fein	Mr Paul Maskey (Chairperson) 2
	Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Social Democratic and Labour Party	Mr John Dallat Mr Thomas Burns 1
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 Monday 15 September 08 Mr Jim Shannon replaced Mr David Hilditch.
7 With effect from Monday 15 September 08 Mr George Robinson replaced Mr Simon Hamilton.

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