East Belfast Alliance MLA Chris Lyttle said: “This is a totally unacceptable situation. I have spent most of yesterday and today trying to get through to NI Water and have received numerous calls for help from people in East Belfast including older persons, disabled persons and a nursing home all without water since Christmas Day.
“The public deserve immediate clarification from the Minister for Regional Development as to the adequacy of the emergency planning put in place to deal with this issue and there needs to be improved communication about when people will be reconnected to the water supply.
“The Minister for the Environment, Edwin Poots, committed local government resources to assist with these exceptional circumstances before Christmas; has the Minister for Regional Development been in contact with his colleague to consider the facilities that could be provided by local leisure and community centres to help the most vulnerable in our community who have been left without water for days?
“We need detail on the emergency plan the Regional Development Minister put in place, and we need improved implementation now.”
ENDS