Debate contribution: Planning and Waste Water Infrastructure

Debate contribution by Dr Caoimhe Archibald on 14 September 2026.

MLA: Dr Caoimhe Archibald
Party at the time: Sinn Féin
Date: 14 September 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Oral Answers to Questions
Heading: Planning and Waste Water Infrastructure
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5685452

Text

Thank you, a Phriomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle.
I have been fairly generous in not pushing back at Members in relation to who has responsibility for these particular areas, because I very much recognise the cross-cutting impact that planning and waste water infrastructure have on the local economy. I assure the Member that I have engaged regularly with my colleague the Infrastructure Minister, who does have a particular focus on the planning improvement plan, to address some of the challenges — with which we will all be familiar through our constituency offices — when it comes to businesses seeking to invest, develop and grow. It is important to recognise that, over the past couple of years, there have been improvements in the time taken for planning applications. We work on that across Departments, as well as across agencies with different responsibilities. We will continue to place a focus on it, because we all want to achieve the same outcome.

156 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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