Debate contribution: Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill: Consideration Stage
Debate contribution by Ms Liz Kimmins on .
- MLA
- Ms Liz Kimmins
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 12 October 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Executive Committee Business
- Heading
- Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill: Consideration Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5785925
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle.
I thank all Members for their contributions. I note and really appreciate the collegial and positive way in which the Bill has been discussed. I know that Members appreciate the importance of the policies that are included in the Bill, and that they will benefit everyone in the North. As many Members have said, the amendments that I have tabled are mainly minor and technical in nature. They provide clarification, and I hope that they remove any confusion, particularly about the potential SuDS approval body, to which many Members referred in their remarks. The amendments do not deviate in any way from the original policy intention of the Bill; indeed, they provide greater clarity on its operation. I have listened carefully and will now address some of the specific issues that Members highlighted. The Deputy Chair of the Infrastructure Committee, John Stewart, mentioned the lack of clarity. I appreciate his comments about the work that my officials have done with the Committee, stakeholders and me. That is the approach that should be taken to legislation. We should listen to concerns and, as far as possible, work to find ways in which to address them so that we can move forward in a way that satisfies everyone concerned. This is a really good example of such an approach. Justin McNulty raised the important point about the need for clear guidance on SuDS, particularly for industry. Officials are working closely with industry experts, representative bodies and key stakeholders through the SuDS advisory group and the SuDS stakeholder group to ensure that they are actively engaged in policy development and kept informed of the emerging requirements. Although there is still significant work to be undertaken in developing the implementation framework for the new regulatory regime, I am keen to issue guidance on the SuDS standards at the earliest opportunity to provide that clarity for the industry. The Chairperson of the Committee, Jonny Buckley, raised a number of issues, the first of which was about housing. My Department continues to work closely with colleagues in DFC, the Housing Executive and NI Water to identify solutions to unlock waste water capacity through the housing supply strategy group. My predecessor John O'Dowd and I have provided £30 million to unlock almost 5,500 properties across the North since 2024. I am pleased that the Executive, including the Member's colleague the Communities Minister, recently agreed to prioritise waste water infrastructure, as they recognise exactly what he said: that waste water infrastructure underpins the achievement of many other Executive priorities, particularly housing. That is important, and it is a good step forward for us as an Executive to ensure that we follow our words with actions and achieve what we want to achieve. The options for the new SuDS regulatory arrangements will be costed and assessed through a business case, informed by further public consultation. It should be noted that some functions of any new public body may replace existing functions and may therefore not give rise to additional costs. My Department will continue to engage with key stakeholders on that as work progresses. Finally, the Committee was interested in the enforcement of SuDS. I agree with the comments that any new enforcement regime for SuDS must be proportionate and fair, and my Department will undertake further consultation, in due course, to ensure just that. In my opening remarks — I know that the Chair of the Committee was not able to be in the Chamber at that stage — I stepped through the different stages of that, including a temporary stop notice. I hope that that gives some assurances that we are taking steps, at the earliest stage, to ensure that the regime is fair and proportionate. I again thank the Committee and all Members for their support in the Bill's progressing to this stage and for their valuable contributions to date. I hope that they feel that they have been listened to and that their issues have been addressed in the most comprehensive way. I ask Members to support amendment Nos 1 to 15, which we discussed today.
688 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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