Debate contribution: Harbours Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Ms Liz Kimmins on 23 June 2026.

MLA

Ms Liz Kimmins

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

23 June 2026

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Executive Committee Business

Heading

Harbours Bill: Second Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5637177

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank the Chairperson of the Infrastructure Committee, Committee members and MLAs for their comments on the Bill. I will start by addressing some general issues and points that were raised. I thank everyone for their support for the Bill. You are right in doing so in that this is a significant opportunity to ensure that our ports can realise their potential. A number of Members mentioned the Belfast harbour master plan, and I attended its recent launch. I have worked with Belfast harbour since coming into the post, and it is an exciting plan that will transform the harbour. I want to address the issues with Warrenpoint harbour, which were raised by my colleague Sinéad Ennis, and South Down MLAs Andy McMurray and Colin McGrath. Being in a neighbouring constituency, it is an issue that I am very aware of and concerned about. I want to put that on the record as a local MLA but also as someone who visits Warrenpoint and has worked in the town. It is a beautiful place and is somewhere that I like to take my children, so anything that impacts on the community there absolutely needs to be addressed. However, I have to be clear about my responsibilities. I want to ensure that Members leave the House with no ambiguity about who has responsibility for the issues that have arisen, and what powers I have, specifically the article 4 directions that many Members mentioned. Even though the four trust ports will no longer be subject to article 4 directions, they will remain subject to a range of legal, statutory, regulatory and accountability checks. The power of direction enables the Department to issue directions to designated harbour authorities but only in relation to the exercise of their statutory functions. That power was introduced in 2002, and as one Member said, it has never been used. My Department's powers in respect of Warrenpoint specifically are limited to the port's statutory functions. Those concern the operation, improvement, maintenance and management of the harbour as set out in the Harbours Act (Northern Ireland) 1970 and the Warrenpoint Harbour Authority Order (Northern Ireland) 2002. The powers do not extend to managing third-party operational practices, directing tenants, regulating environmental issues or addressing issues such as odour or air quality. It is important to state that in relation to that issue, which is impacting fundamentally on the lives of people in Warrenpoint. Ports are required to comply with environmental law, which is enforced by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA). I met the chairperson of Warrenpoint harbour and made known my concerns as a local constituency representative close to South Down but also as Minister, and the relationship that we have with Warrenpoint harbour. I know that it is a massive issue and needs to be addressed. To make sure that I had no role in that, we sought legal advice as to whether that power could be applied in the way that Members have asked me to do, and that was raised by the community. The legal advice reinforced the position that the power can be used only in relation to the harbour's statutory functions. It is not appropriate, therefore, to use it in those circumstances. That is an important piece of information that I really wanted to get on the record. If there was more that I could do, I absolutely would. I would never shirk my responsibility in relation to that matter, but I can work only within the legislative framework. Others, including the NIEA, need to look at the legislative framework and the responsibility that they have under current legislation.

The point that we need to be clear on here is that legislation is in place — environment orders — that ports are required to comply with. That is the best route to deal with the issue. We have talked today about getting the balance right. The legislation is about giving ports autonomy to borrow more, which will benefit not just the port but the wider community, our local economy and tourism, while keeping them under the control of a Department. There has been a lot of talk about relinquishing power that could be used to deal with the issue. I cannot relinquish a power that I do not have; that is the key point. The Bill will go to the Committee for scrutiny, and there will be opportunities — officials will attend the Committee tomorrow — to look at that in more detail, but the powers are there to be implemented if the AERA Minister wants to do so. That is very clear. NIEA has a clear role in this. I know that it has said that, to date, there have been no breaches that it is aware of. I do not want to veer into an area that is not mine. There is a clear framework. That should be applied, and people should listen to the community in Warrenpoint and heed the real impact that this has had for the past three years.

I spoke to the AERA Minister ahead of the Bill's introduction to highlight the concerns. Last year, I met the chair of Warrenpoint harbour, who, in fairness, raised his concerns. I emphasise, however, that the matter needs to be addressed. We need to ensure that everyone who has a role plays their part. I can do that as far as my remit allows. The issue has been on the record long enough for us to know that it is significant. My understanding is that it has neither improved nor gone away. We have to listen to the people of Warrenpoint and ensure that it is dealt with appropriately, efficiently and effectively for the future.

For the last time.

What I said was that, according to NIEA, it was not aware of any breaches, but what I am asking is how robust that investigation has been. The people of Warrenpoint are not making it up; that is the bottom line. They live through it when it occurs. I make it clear that, to my knowledge, that is the feedback that has been provided. I would be happy to take an intervention from any Member who knows something different. The planning process is another way of addressing issues when organisations or businesses move into port property. Different processes are in place to address all that. The storage of waste is not a natural responsibility of the Department for Infrastructure, and, yes, planning is under our control, but that goes through councils as well. There are a number of ways of looking at this.

1,101 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 16:11 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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