Rogers highlights ‘Sinn Fein hypocrisy’ on water meters

SDLP South Down MLA Sean Rogers has highlighted what he describes as ‘the hypocrisy’ of a Sinn Féin minister’s department installing 32,000 water meters in the North whilst the party joins in with protests against water meter installations in the south.

Rogers says he has discovered that during Conor Murphy’s tenure as Regional Development Minister, his department installed over 32,000 domestic and non-domestic water meters across the north.

“Whilst the answer to my question is not all that it might have been it nevertheless has a number of very revealing factors,” he told Newry Times.

“The Department of Regional Development has advised that between 2007 and 2014 some 32,000 meters have been installed at domestic properties. The revelations will make uncomfortable reading especially for the underprivileged families in our society.

“Sinn Fein followers will be most uncomfortable of all when they learn the fact that a total of 26,510 meters have been installed at family homes during Minister Conor Murphy’s watch.

“Indeed, in 2008, a year after Conor Murphy had been installed as DRD Minister, his department installed almost 12,000 water meters at domestic properties, almost triple the amount of the average,” he continued.

“I contend that it is the utmost in hypocrisy to be seen joining in the water charge protests in the Republic whilst supervising the installation of water meters in this part of Ireland.

“I do not intend to let the matter rest. I have asked a further question of the department for a geographical breakdown of where they installed the water meters during this timeframe. I do not accept the department’s assertion that they do not know where they installed the water meters.

Rogers added, “I will also be making demands of Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy to assure that he does not continue the installation process which his predecessor Conor Murphy allowed to go unchallenged.”

Short URL: https://newrytimes.com/?p=48242

Posted by Newry Times News on Jan 15 2015. Filed under Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry