Infrastructure Minister Announces Additional £31m for NI Water

The infrastructure minister has announced that NI Water will receive an additional £31m in funding. John O’Dowd stated that £19.5m of this sum is designated for addressing problems within the wastewater system, which have impeded several infrastructure initiatives, such as the construction of new residences. This funding originates from the Stormont mini-budget, referred to as a monitoring round. Furthermore, O’Dowd allocated funds to fully support the department’s winter service, encompassing road gritting operations. Additionally, nearly £19m has been allocated for crucial and structural road maintenance, alongside street lighting projects. Translink also obtained £12m. The minister commented, “Translink and NI Water will benefit from a total of £43m between them.” He further stated, “Given the well documented issues around wastewater constraints, I have taken the decision to allocate half of my department’s capital allocation to NI Water so that we can help unlock the housing pressures.” Last year, housebuilding in Northern Ireland reached its lowest point in 60 years, partly attributed to limitations on new water connections. Approximately 19,000 planned homes are currently stalled because of these restrictions. The previous week, representatives from the utility provider cautioned Stormont that capacity issues would intensify in the absence of further long-term funding. The infrastructure committee was informed that NI Water confronts a substantial funding deficit, affecting both its daily operational costs and its long-term capital investments. Ronan Larkin, NI Water’s director of finance, indicated a £23m funding shortfall between the amount required to operate the service and the funds accessible. Regarding the long-term capital spending plan, he reported a funding gap of £266m, representing approximately a 45% shortfall. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.