NI Water: ‘Staggering’ amount of projects delayed over outdated system

Housebuilding in Northern Ireland fell to a 60-year low last year, partially due to restrictions on new connections to an underfunded water system.

Plans for an estimated 19,000 homes are being held up due to the restrictions – affecting construction in 23 towns.

“It’s been staggering, some of the stories we’ve heard from the construction industry, from architects, from agents and consultants,” Mr Durkan said.

“Increasingly though, it’s gone beyond those professional bodies into the wider public.

“They are seeing this, people actually looking to build extensions to their houses, people looking to make adaptations for family members with disabilities, they’re even encountering these difficulties due to the state of Northern Ireland water’s infrastructure and the state of their finances.”