Debate contribution: Dilapidation Bill: Final Stage

Debate contribution by Mr Andrew Muir on 8 September 2026.

MLA: Mr Andrew Muir
Party at the time: Alliance Party
Date: 8 September 2026
Type: Debate contribution (made as a minister)
Business: Executive Committee Business
Heading: Dilapidation Bill: Final Stage
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5673947

Text

I beg to move
I welcome the opportunity to bring the Dilapidation Bill to its Final Stage. People in Northern Ireland deserve to have pride in their area and to see their high streets thriving, with shops, restaurants and a variety of businesses, instead of being blighted by run-down buildings and dilapidation. The Bill is a worthwhile and positive development, and I am extremely proud of it. I look forward to its playing a role in supporting our local economy and delivering more vibrant neighbourhoods. It will help restore not only the look but the safety of our cities, town squares and villages so that people can once again live and work in attractive and colourful neighbourhoods. At Second Stage, I outlined why the Bill is to be welcomed by all Members, and I am pleased that it has received broad support across the Assembly, reflecting the shared recognition that the current legislative framework is no longer adequate. I am confident that Members will pass the Bill today. It will be a potentially transformative moment for our neighbourhoods as we enhance councils' ability to tackle dilapidation wherever it occurs. It will now be up to councils to drive change in their communities and utilise the new powers on the ground. I thank the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee for its detailed scrutiny of the Bill and for its constructive engagement with stakeholders. The Committee's constructive and helpful recommendations led to amendments at Consideration Stage that have strengthened what was already a solid Bill. I thank my Executive colleagues and Members of the Assembly for their ongoing support throughout the passage of the legislation. Aristotle is credited with saying:
"Even when laws have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered."
That is no more apt than in the case of the Dilapidation Bill. The Bill will modernise a fragmented and outdated body of law, some of which is more than 150 years old. Existing powers are inconsistent, limited in scope and less effective than those available elsewhere in the UK. That has constrained councils' ability to address dilapidation and has, in some cases, hindered the regeneration of our villages, towns and cities. Members will already be familiar with the detail of the Bill, so I will refer only briefly to its key provisions. The Dilapidation Bill will give district councils a clearer and more robust suite of enforcement powers, enabling them to issue notices that are proportionate to the severity of the dilapidation identified. Those notices will require owners, occupiers or other interested parties to take remedial action to deal with the dilapidation and neglect within a specified period. Where ownership is unclear, councils will be able to serve notice on the land. If action is not taken, councils may undertake the necessary works themselves and recover costs through the courts if necessary. Unrecovered costs may be registered as a charge on the land, with the power of sale also available to councils. Those provisions are important. They protect the public purse, support effective enforcement and ensure that those responsible for properties do not benefit from allowing the buildings or land to fall into disrepair. The Bill also provides for proportionate penalties ranging from a £2,500 fine on summary conviction in the Magistrates' Court to more significant sanctions upon conviction on indictment, including an unlimited fine or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or both. The current lack of guidance is one of the reasons why some councils are reluctant to use the existing powers at their disposal. Therefore, the Bill will be accompanied by detailed statutory guidance to which councils must have regard when exercising functions under the legislation and which will enable councils to operate the new legislation effectively. It is envisaged that that approach will give much greater clarity to district councils, property owners, financial institutions and other government agencies regarding the scope of the legislation and the responsibilities of various parties. My officials continue to engage with council officers on the development of the guidance, which will be laid in draft before the Assembly in due course. In summary, the Bill provides councils with modern, practical and enforceable powers to tackle dilapidation earlier and more effectively. It will help support regeneration, improve local environments and ensure a fairer approach to responsibility and cost recovery. I commend the Dilapidation Bill to the House and look forward to hearing Members' comments. I thank the officials who have worked on the Bill over the past number of years.

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

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