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Water firm notches up £16m bill Water firm notches up £16m bill
(about 1 hour later)
The government-owned firm, Northern Ireland Water, has spent more than £16m on consultancy fees since April.The government-owned firm, Northern Ireland Water, has spent more than £16m on consultancy fees since April.
The figures were released by the Department for Regional Development in response to an Assembly question from Ulster Unionist MLA George Savage.The figures were released by the Department for Regional Development in response to an Assembly question from Ulster Unionist MLA George Savage.
Mr Savage said the cost to the tax payer was "far too high" and too much public money was being spent on consultancy work.Mr Savage said the cost to the tax payer was "far too high" and too much public money was being spent on consultancy work.
"I was alarmed at the answer that I got," he 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."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?""How can £16.5m be spent in consultancy work in six months?"
Assembly member John Dallat said the money had to be justified.Assembly member John Dallat said the money had to be justified.
"We have got to drill deeper to find out exactly how that money was spent," he said."We have got to drill deeper to find out exactly how that money was spent," he said.
"It is ironic that the Public Accounts Committee, of which I am also a member, has just completed a report on consultancy fees and discovered that those have gone up from £13m per year across all departments to just over £40m." Mr Dallat said it was ironic that the Public Accounts Committee had just completed gathering evidence for a report on consultancy fees.
It had discovered that the fees had gone up from £13m per year across all departments to just over £40m, he said.