Water charges postponed for a year

The Government has confirmed it is to postpone water charges in Northern Ireland for a further year.

Minister for Regional Development Shaun Woodward said after detailed consultation the government had set an April 2007 date for when domestic charges will begin to be phased in.

"The case for water and sewerage charges remains strong," the Minister said. "In addition to an ongoing annual investment programme for water and sewerage services, income from a fair system of charges will enable increased investment to be made across public services in Northern Ireland.

Reacting to the news, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has urged the NIO to scrap, not postpone the charges.

FSB Regional Chairman, John Friel said: “While this delay gives us some stay of execution, the fact remains that the Government are still set to introduce these charges on already over taxed and over burdened small business community in Northern Ireland.

“Business owners will have to pay twice with these proposed water charges, at home and at their place of work and still have to suffer with some of the highest insurance, electricity, banking and crime rates in the whole of the UK."

Ulster Unionist Strangford assembly member, David McNarry, welcomed the decision but warned that it would not deflect the campaign for their total removal.

In a statement he said: “I have been campaigning against this invidious water charge proposal for some time now. In March I handed to a senior DRD civil servant a petition signed by 2,500 people who are deeply opposed to the water charges. The depth of this opposition is such that I am close to finalising a second petition of similar size.

“Those campaigning against the imposition of water charges will welcome Shaun Woodward’s announcement of postponement.

“This decision, however, will not deflect campaigners nor offset the scale of public antipathy to these proposals."

(MB/SP)