Plenty of water for Stormont's Pontius Pilates
01 January 2011
Statement by TUV leader Jim Allister:
"The attempt by co-First Minister Robinson to pretend that Northern Ireland Water is somehow a body to which all the blame for the shambolic events of the last few days can be attributed, with no fallout for their Stormont masters, is pathetic.
"The truth is that the buck stops with Murphy. Had this appalling situation developed under Direct Rule imagine all the talk there would have been about the importance of having locally elected people who were accountable. Tonight showed that there is nothing accountable about Belfast Agreement devolution.
"As I have highlighted previously, the Transport Minister in Scotland was forced to resign for much less serious failings. In Northern Ireland Murphy is protected by the iniquity of mandatory coalition.
"While many in Northern Ireland have been left without water there seems to be no shortage at Stormont where Ministers can - Pontius Pilate-like - wash their hands and blame everyone else!"
