Debate contribution: North/South Ministerial Council: Inland Waterways
Debate contribution by Ms Liz Kimmins on .
- MLA
- Ms Liz Kimmins
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 29 June 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Ministerial Statement
- Heading
- North/South Ministerial Council: Inland Waterways
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5645095
Read the official Assembly record
Text
In compliance with section 52 of the NI Act 1998, I will make a statement on the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) inland waterways meeting that was held at Waterways Ireland headquarters in Enniskillen on 29 May 2026. The Executive were represented by me, as Minister for Infrastructure, and junior Minister in the Executive Office Joanne Bunting. The Irish Government were represented by James Browne, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The statement has been agreed with junior Minister Bunting, and I make it on behalf of both of us. Minister Browne chaired the meeting, and the following is a note of what was discussed. We welcomed the progress achieved by Waterways Ireland since the previous meeting of the council in the inland waterways sectoral format, including the ongoing work on phase 3 of the Ulster canal restoration project. We noted progress on other projects, including the construction of a new depot in Tullamore and the repurposing of the former site; the five-year maintenance plan for the Barrow navigation; and the replacement of the Camden sea lock gates. We noted developments on the Royal canal greenway and the Grand canal greenway in Dublin. Updates were provided on the planning submission for the Shannon greenway, research on visitor monitoring using the Royal canal greenway and the continuing work of reviewing the Shannon navigation and canals by-laws. We acknowledged Waterways Ireland's development of a sustainability road map to create clear action plans across the organisation, the ongoing transition of its fleet vehicles from fossil fuels to hydrotreated vegetable oil and the development of a water management strategy. We recognised that, in 2026, for the seventh consecutive year, Waterways Ireland reached the finals of the Green Awards in the category of public-sector organisation of the year. We noted that the end-of-year water framework directive reports for the canal network in 2025 show that the water quality of the canals assessed has remained good since the previous assessment and that Waterways Ireland has developed a tree management strategy that addresses the immediate safety risks posed by diseased trees and the longer-term requirement to restore hedgerow continuity and habitat connectivity along the waterways, including through managing ash dieback along its waterway network. We consented to the granting of a number of property disposals. We noted the updated position with the Ulster canal restoration project and the extension of the navigable waterways network as a result of the restoration of the Ulster canal from Lough Erne to Clones. We acknowledged the amenity that has been created in Clones around the marina, which provides a public space for the use of the local community and visitors, and the potential economic benefits as a result of the facilities provided, including moorings for 36 boats at Clones and along the route of the Ulster canal once the restoration project is complete. We noted the continued progress on the construction of the Narrow Water bridge between Cornamucklagh in County Louth and Warrenpoint in County Down. We agreed to hold the next meeting in the inland waterways sectoral format in winter 2026.
511 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not qualifying”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (qualifying needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not qualifying).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-qualifying threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.19 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-qualifying threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.98 |
| Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty | 0.02 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 16:05 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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