The news that former Northern Ireland Water boss Katherine Bryan has received a golden handshake worth more than a quarter of a million pounds has raised a bit of a stink in the province.

When she made her abrupt departure from the utility last month, the administration at Stormont refused to give any details of her severance package. However, this week regional development minister Conor Murphy spilled the beans to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Answering a written question from the Social Democratic and Labour Party's John Dallat, the minister said Bryan's pay-off added up to £266,217.65. This involved a year's salary, a further six months' pay in lieu of notice and six months' employer's pension contribution, also in lieu of notice.
Dallat is quoted as saying: "I'm sure householders facing water charges next year, on top of all the other rising bills, will be outraged at the payout.
"This will do nothing to engender confidence in the new water regime."
Bryan's sudden departure followed criticism of Northern Ireland Water over a miscalculation of forecast revenue. The overestimate of income from non-domestic customers led to fears of a £30 hike in household charges, due to be introduced next year.
The chief executive formally left the post at the end of last month. Avid drummer and company chair Chris Mellor is filling the position on an interim basis, pending a new appointment.
Bryan was appointed head of the Department of Regional Development's former Water Service in early 2004, and oversaw its transformation into NIW last year. Early on in her career in the province she was asked to crystal ball gaze the future. This was her vision-thing. "The new company will be established and operating well. Water charges will be accepted by customers... And we will be an efficient company respected by its customers and by the wider business community."
Hmm.

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