N I Water Says Consultancy Fee Claim Is 'Misleading'

Northern Ireland Water has come out fighting by described reports that it spent £16m in six months on consultancy fees as "misleading".

A spokeswoman said £12m had been spent on "the design and build of complex infrastructure projects.

"It also includes fees associated with accountancy, legal, HR and other services that must be provided by external consultants," she added.

"This year alone, Northern Ireland Water will spend £230m upgrading water and waste water infrastructures."

The spokeswoman for the Government-owned company - which was set up in April to overhaul NI's water and sewerage infrastructure - continued: "Over the next three years, £670m will be spent through the capital works programme."

The initial figures concerning Northern Ireland Water's consultancy fees were released by the Department for Regional Development in response to a question from Ulster Unionist MLA George Savage.

Mr Savage commented that the cost to the tax payer was "far too high" and too much public money was being spent on consultancy work.

Mr Savage said: "I was alarmed at the answer that I got," he said.

"People have a right to know where and how this money is being spent.

"How can £16.5m be spent in consultancy work in six months?

"We have got to drill deeper to find out exactly how that money was spent," he said.

Meanwhile, the Assembly's Public Accounts Committee has just completed gathering evidence for a report on consultancy fees.

That document reported that overall consultancy fees had gone up from £13m per year across all departments to just over £40m.

(BMcC)