Northern Ireland’s regional development minister Conor Murphy faced a demand to resign today following a Christmas and New Year water crisis.
With Laurence MacKenzie, the chief executive of the water company at the centre of the fiasco, expected to step down as early as this afternoon, pressure mounted on Mr Murphy to go as well.
A meeting of the Northern Ireland Water (NIW) board in Belfast this afternoon is expected to discuss Mr MacKenzie's future following public outrage over his handling of the emergency which left up to 60,000 homes without water at various periods over the holiday.
NIW, a government-owned company, said it is closing down the final water leaks. Yesterday it reported that just over 100 properties were without water.
A spokesman for NIW said Mr MacKenzie, who has held the post since 2009, had "not tendered his resignation".
DUP environment minister Edwin Poots said it was right that he should be considering his position but added that others in the organisation should also take the blame.
Tens of thousands of homes and businesses were left without water when Arctic weather around Christmas was followed by a swift thaw that ruptured pipes.
But NIW failed to cope with the public outcry for information and is accused of bungling efforts to help stricken families.
The SDLP called for the Sinn Féin minister's resignation. SDLP Assembly member Conall McDevitt said: "Many will question now how long Minister Murphy's position that he is the only one who is blameless in the long
line of disasters to hit his department and its agencies is really sustainable."
Sinn Féin has accused opponents of scoring political points over the crisis, but Mr McDevitt said NIW had been dogged by controversy under Mr Murphy.
The minister has promised an independent inquiry into NIW's performance, which First Minister Peter Robinson branded "shambolic".
Mr Murphy has said the terms of reference of the latest inquiry are close to being agreed and the review will not be barred from examining the performance of his department.
PA