NI Water: Who will pay for NI's infrastructure upgrades?
This week the boss of Invest NI delivered his first annual report since he was recruited to shake-up the economic development organisation.Kieran Donoghue reported good progress against his targets, noting that challenges include his budget and global economic uncertainty.But he said the thing that keeps him awake at night is Northern Ireland's creaking infrastructure, particularly when it comes to wastewater.What is worrying Mr Donoghue is that overloaded wastewater treatment works across Northern Ireland are constraining economic development.
Factories and houses cannot be built because NI Water cannot connect them to the water grid.In 2024, BBC Northern Ireland's Spotlight programme also exposed the environmental toll, with raw sewage regularly being discharged into Belfast Lough.The root of the problem is money. NI Water, the publicly owned water company, has been under-funded since it was set up in 2007.The company is required to produce six-year investment plans, known as price control periods, which have to be approved by the independent Utility Regulator.The regulator sets the prices that NI Water can charge its business customers and defines how much money it needs from Stormont's Department for Infrastructure.The department has never been able to fully fund those independently approved investment plans, meaning a backlog of infrastructure work has built up and continues to grow.For example, the flagship project of the current Price Control period was the Living With Water Plan, an upgrade of the sewage works around Belfast Lough.Earlier this year, that was deferred as rising construction meant its estimated price tag had risen to an unaffordable £2.1bn. The hope is that it can be at least partially funded in the next Price Control period. A consensus is emerging that this obviously failing process cannot continue.
Earlier this month an assessment by the Fiscal Council, an independent budget watchdog, concluded that the current funding model is not fit for purpose.It added that resolving the issues will require getting new money from somewhere "even though this appears politically unpalatable".This week the NI Chamber of Commerce and others suggested that at least some of the money should come through the rates system. Rates are a property tax levied on households and businesses and are the main tool which the NI Executive can use to raise money.The NI Chamber report suggested a levy, of £100 on top of the current average annual rates bill of £1200.It would be a proportionate levy meaning those with bigger existing bills would pay more than £100, and those with smaller bills would pay less.The Chamber chief executive Suzanne Wylie appeared on The View, BBC NI's main political discussion show, to sell the plan.She got familiar responses from the political guests: households are already under pressure, so they can't be the source of the additional money.The Green Party suggested additional taxes on business. The DUP said more efficiencies should be squeezed from NI Water, while the SDLP called for another review.Meanwhile the Sinn Féin Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins, is pressing ahead with a plan to raise money from housing developers.
Friday saw the conclusion of her consultation on options for a developer levy.The two options are a compulsory levy requiring all house builders in Northern Ireland to pay into a wastewater infrastructure fund.It is not clear how much the levy would be, nor how much it would be expected to raise.Alternatively, there could be voluntary contributions where developers cover the cost of upgrading or replacing a particular piece of infrastructure.The consultation document acknowledges that both options would increase costs to developers which could mean higher costs for house buyers or deter some projects.So if Kimmins' plan makes it through the Executive it will mean that a small number of households, those buying newly built houses, will indirectly be paying for wastewater improvements.However, the Fiscal Council has already warned that won't go far enough.Sir Robert Chote, who chairs the council, told assembly members "it doesn't seem very likely" that it will raise the sort of money needed to transform the system."It could help at the margin, but it is not as much of a gamechanger as something bigger on regional rates or domestic charging."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Broadcasters must air views that trans women are women, says Ofcom
Broadcasters must give airtime to claims that biological men are women when covering trans issues, Ofcom has said. The media regulator warned GB News in a letter seen by The Telegraph that it could not treat the controversy as settled, despite the landmark Supreme Court victory for women's rights campaigners in April 2025. The Supreme Court ruled that under the Equality Act, the word 'woman' means a biological woman rather than a person's self-identified gender. As a result, women-only spaces have a legal right to be protected. However, Ofcom has said that the judges' ruling does not mean the matter is 'settled'. In the past, the regulator has said that it considers it 'settled' that climate change is real and a man-made phenomenon. Therefore, in situations discussing climate change, broadcasters do not have to provide an opposing view such as a climate change sceptic. GB News wrote to Ofcom asking it to confirm that the ruling had settled the matter of the definition of a woman by saying it was defined by biological sex and not gender identity. The station also asked the regulator to confirm that television companies would be able to refer to people such as sports stars solely by their biological pronoun. But Ofcom said the Supreme Court only ruled on the definition of a woman in terms of the Equality Act and not on its meaning in other contexts. Believe sex can change The decision suggests broadcasters will continue to have to present both sides of the debate: those who believe there are only two sexes and those who believe a person's gender identity can change their actual sex. Ofcom's response also suggests that broadcasters should use a person's preferred pronoun. In its letter, GB News wrote: 'We would be grateful if Ofcom could confirm that in light of the Supreme Court judgment, it is now a settled matter that the terms 'man', 'woman' and 'sex' can only be understood to mean biological sex, biological woman and biological man and, as a consequence, it is also a settled matter that a 'trans woman' is not a biological female, and a 'trans man' is not a biological male.' It added: 'Following the Supreme Court judgment we are of the view that (provided there is no deliberate intention to cause harm or offence), contributors should generally be able to use biological pronouns.' In its reply, Ofcom said that it could not agree with the broadcaster's 'dogmatic' pronouncements. It said it did not follow the premise that assumes 'the judgment should also be understood to have effectively 'settled' wider debate about the appropriate meaning, usage and effect of such terms in all contexts outside the scope of the Equality Act, including in broadcast programmes in which issues relating to sex and gender-based rights are discussed generally'. It added: 'The judgment does not purport to do so.' Requires nuanced decision-making The letter went on to say that Ofcom 'does not consider that it is helpful or appropriate to endorse the dogmatic propositions' made by GB News, adding that it worked on a case-by-case basis because such issues 'require nuanced decision-making'. 'Our assessment will of course also take account of all applicable Convention rights, including the broadcaster's and audience's rights to freedom of expression, as well as the latitude for editorial discretion which uncontroversially accompanies the exercise of those rights on issues of significant public interest.' A spokesman for the regulator said: 'Ofcom is a post-broadcast regulator. 'In line with the rights of broadcasters and audiences to freedom of expression, our rules allow broadcasters editorial freedom to choose how to cover issues in their programmes subject to the Broadcasting Code. 'Our assessment of whether content complies with the Broadcasting Code is always fact-specific and takes into account all relevant contextual factors, requiring nuanced decision-making, and not a 'one size fits all' approach.'
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Starmer condemns 'appalling hate speech' at Glastonbury - as organiser says anti-IDF chants 'crossed a line'
The prime minister has criticised chants of "death to the IDF" during a Glastonbury performance on Saturday, while festival organiser Emily Eavis said they had "very much crossed a line". Responding on Sunday to rap duo Bob Vylan's set the day before, Sir Keir Starmer said: "There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech." In the same statement, the prime minister repeated his previous argument that the Belfast rap group Kneecap should have been removed from the line-up after one member was charged with a terrorism offence. "I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence. "The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast." On Sunday, Ms Eavis, whose father Michael co-founded the festival, posted her response to Bob Vylan's performance. "Their chants very much crossed a line and we are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the Festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence," she wrote. She said that while "as a festival, we stand against all forms of war and terrorism - we will always believe in - and actively campaign for - hope, unity, peace and love", adding a performer's comments "should never be seen as a tacit endorsement of their opinions and beliefs". Eavis added: "With almost 4,000 performances at Glastonbury 2025, there will inevitably be artists and speakers appearing on our stages whose views we do not share." The rappers' set was streamed live on the BBC on Saturday, showing one of them shouting the slogan into the mic, with some of the crowd joining in. They also performed in front of a screen that claimed Israel's actions in Gaza amount to "genocide". Posting on Instagram on Sunday, drummer Bobby Vylan doubled down by repeating elements of the chant alongside a picture of himself. The Israeli embassy posted on X in the hours after the set saying it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric". It said the slogan used "advocates for the dismantling of the State of Israel". The post on X added: "When such messages are delivered before tens of thousands of festivalgoers and met with applause, it raises serious concerns about the normalisation of extremist language and the glorification of violence." In a separate post on X on Sunday, Israel's foreign ministry published graphic footage following the attack by Hamas on the Nova festival in Israel on 7 October 2023. The message directly appealed to those at Glastonbury who joined in the chants. "On October 7th, Hamas terrorists murdered hundreds of innocent partygoers at the Nova festival. For those at the Glastonbury festival who need a reality check, let this footage serve as a reminder to what you are supporting." Meanwhile the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said it will be formally complaining to the BBC over its "outrageous decision" to broadcast the performance. Avon and Somerset Police said they are looking at whether a criminal offence was committed. "Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," the force said in a post on social media. Bob Vylan's set may have pushed things too far Bob Vylan, a punk-rap duo known for their politically charged lyrics taking on racism, fascism, police brutality, toxic masculinity, inequality and more, performed on the festival's third biggest stage, West Holts, with a capacity of about 30,000. They played to their own fans but no doubt thousands who had turned out to secure their place for the controversial Irish-language rappers Kneecap who followed. After the Bob Vylan performance was aired live, clips quickly flooded social media - shared by those supporting the band and condemning them. "The BBC didn't cover Kneecap's set at Glastonbury Festival over Free Palestine chants, so Bob Vylan, who BBC covered, stepped in," posted the Celebrities4Palestine account alongside a clip on Instagram, also shared by Bob Vylan. The IDF comments on stage may well have been made regardless. Or did Kneecap's "cancelling" by the BBC, as some people saw it, encourage other acts to speak out even more? Police are investigating both performances. Kneecap's Naoise O Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, at one point mentioned "a riot outside the courts" over his bandmate Liam Og O hAnnaidh's (Mo Chara) upcoming second appearance on a terror charge, before clarifying: "No riots, just love and support, and support for Palestine." With its history of activism, Glastonbury has always championed free speech. But it seems Bob Vylan's set may have pushed things too far. It's fair to say that here at Glastonbury, for most of the 200,000 people on site this weekend, it is still all about the music. The majority did not see these sets and many are not even aware of the criticism outside Worthy Farm. Today is the final day of artist performances, with acts including Olivia Rodrigo, Rod Stewart and the Prodigy on the bill. But instead of the magic of the most famous festival in the world, both organisers and the broadcaster are now facing more questions about Bob Vylan and, to a lesser extent, Kneecap, as criticism mounts. Bob Vylan went on stage just ahead of a performance by Kneecap, the Irish rap band that the prime minister and others called to be removed from the Glastonbury and other festival line-ups over alleged on-stage endorsements of terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah. Ultimately, the BBC decided not to broadcast Kneecap's set live, but have since made it available to watch on catch-up on iPlayer. One of its members, Liam Og O hAnnaidh, was charged with a terror offence in May after being accused of displaying a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig. His bandmate Naoise O Caireallain told Glastonbury crowds on Saturday they should "start a riot outside the courts", before clarifying: "No riots just love and support, and support for Palestine." O hAnnaidh - also known as Mo Chara - wore a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf for their set and told fans he was a "free man". Questions over why BBC broadcast chants The government's culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to BBC boss Tim Davie for an "urgent explanation" about what steps were taken around the Bob Vylan set. Speaking to Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips on behalf of the government, Health Secretary Wes Streeting described the chant as "appalling" and a "shameless publicity stunt". "The fact that we saw that chant at a music festival - when there were Israelis at a similar music festival who were kidnapped, murdered, raped, and in some cases still held captive," he said in reference to the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack at the Nova music festival. He added that while "there's no justification for inciting violence against Israelis… the way in which Israel's conducting this war has made it extremely difficult for Israel's allies around the world to stand by and justify". "I'd also say to the Israeli embassy, get your own house in order, in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," he told Phillips. Meanwhile, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch reposted a clip of the Bob Vylan set describing it as "grotesque". "Violence against Jews isn't edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked," she said on X. Lucy McMullin, who was in the crowd for Bob Vylan, told Sky News: "When there's children and civilians being murdered and starved, then I think it's important that people are speaking out on these issues. "However, inciting more death and violence is not the way to do it." A BBC spokesperson confirmed the Bob Vylan stream will not be made available to watch on its iPlayer. "Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive," their statement said. "During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. We have no plans to make the performance available on demand."
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Starmer says ‘death to IDF' chants at Glastonbury were ‘appalling hate speech'
Sir Keir Starmer said chants of 'death' to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) at Glastonbury were 'appalling hate speech' and urged the BBC to explain how the scenes were broadcast. Rapper Bobby Vylan, of rap punk duo Bob Vylan, on Saturday led crowds on the festival's West Holts Stage in chants of 'Free, free Palestine' and 'Death, death to the IDF', before a member of Irish rap trio Kneecap suggested fans 'start a riot' at his bandmate's forthcoming court appearance. Responding to the chants from Bob Vylan, the Prime Minister said: 'There is no excuse for this kind of appalling hate speech. 'I said that Kneecap should not be given a platform and that goes for any other performers making threats or inciting violence. 'The BBC needs to explain how these scenes came to be broadcast.' Avon and Somerset Police said video evidence would be assessed by officers 'to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation'. A joint Instagram post from Glastonbury and Emily Eavis said Bob Vylan's chants 'very much crossed a line' and added: 'We are urgently reminding everyone involved in the production of the festival that there is no place at Glastonbury for antisemitism, hate speech or incitement to violence.' Wes Streeting told Sky News' Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: 'I thought it's appalling, to be honest, and I think the BBC and Glastonbury have got questions to answer about how we saw such a spectacle on our screens.' On social media, the Israeli Embassy said it was 'deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival'. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the scenes 'grotesque', writing on X: 'Glorifying violence against Jews isn't edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked.' Liberal Democrat culture, media and sport spokesman Max Wilkinson said: 'Bob Vylan's chants at Glastonbury yesterday were appalling. Cultural events are always a place for debate, but hate speech, antisemitism and incitements to violence have no place at Glastonbury or anywhere in our society.' The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) said it would be formally complaining to the BBC over its 'outrageous decision' to broadcast Bob Vylan. A spokesperson said: 'Our national broadcaster must apologise for its dissemination of this extremist vitriol, and those responsible must be removed from their positions.' A BBC spokesperson said: 'Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan's set were deeply offensive. 'During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language. We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.' Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to the BBC director general about Bob Vylan's performance, a Government spokesperson said. Bob Vylan, who formed in Ipswich in 2017, have released four albums with their music addressing issues to do with racism, masculinity and class. Bobby Vylan's real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster, 34, according to reports. Robinson-Foster is listed on Companies House as being the director of Ghost Theatre Records, which is operated by Bob Vylan. Kneecap, who hail from Belfast, have been in the headlines after member Liam Og O hAnnaidh, who performs under the name Mo Chara, was charged with a terror offence. The group performed after Vylan's set on the West Holts Stage with O hAnnaidh exclaiming 'Glastonbury, I'm a free man' as they took to the stage. In reference to his bandmate's forthcoming court date, Naoise O Caireallain, who performs under the name Moglai Bap, said they would 'start a riot outside the courts', before clarifying: 'No riots just love and support, and support for Palestine'. In the run-up to the festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset, several politicians called for the group to be removed from the line-up and Sir Keir said their performance would not be 'appropriate'. During the performance, Caireallain said: 'The Prime Minister of your country, not mine, said he didn't want us to play, so f*** Keir Starmer.' He also said a 'big thank you to the Eavis family' and said 'they stood strong' amid calls for the organisers to drop them from the line-up.
