Water, Water Everywhere
Just back from leave and finished deleting 1000 e-mails. Sadly none of them turned out to be internal ones from Northern Ireland Water or the Department of Regional Development. The suspension of the DRD's Permanent Secretary Paul Priestly, pending an investigation into his handling of the events which led to the removal of most of the non executive directors from Northern Ireland Water, is unprecedented.
The TUV leader Jim Allister reckons the DRD minister Conor Murphy is trying to make Mr Priestly a "scapegoat" for his own failings. Sinn Fein's Paul Maskey disagrees - he has put out a statement commending his party colleague for acting "promptly and robustly". But Mr Maskey is the Chair of the Stormont Public Accounts Committee, which may continue to play a role in enquiring into these events. Although he issued his statement as an individual MLA, other politicians may wonder whether he should have appeared to make his mind up at this stage.
No one doubts the need to ensure public money is spent properly - the lack of tendering for £28 million in public contracts is the central issue underpinning this controversy. But the e-mails which have come to light recently raise questions about the department's actions in pinning the blame on the non executive directors, and about the Permanent Secretary's dealings with the independent probe into Northern Ireland Water's actions. There are also further questions about Mr Priestly's handling of the Public Accounts Committee's inquiry into the affair.
This should all make for some sharp exchanges when Conor Murphy meets his departmental committee at Stormont later this month.
Whilst the TUV may be demanding Conor Murphy's head, a ministerial resignation seems highly unlikely - not least because under the Stormont system the only person who can remove a minister is the party's nominating officer. Given that Gerry Adams has stood by Caitriona Ruane throughout all the controversy over her handing of the Education Department it's hard to envisage him rushing to replace Mr Murphy at the DRD.
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