Debate contribution: A5: Court of Appeal Judgement
Debate contribution by Ms Liz Kimmins on .
- MLA
- Ms Liz Kimmins
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 6 October 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Ministerial Statement
- Heading
- A5: Court of Appeal Judgement
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5777204
Read the official Assembly record
Text
It is certainly not my intention to disrespect anybody. I have set out with officials that we want to ensure that there is timely and constructive engagement with all landowners. I completely understand the disruption that the work may cause for many people and the uncertainty that they have experienced for many years. It is now my priority that we ensure that those timelines are made certain as soon as possible and that we have workable engagement with landowners so that we find ways forward that will ensure that everybody's concerns are addressed as far as possible. My commitment is that we ensure that we keep those lines of communication open. Even in the period since June, we have picked up on any issues that have been brought to my attention and worked hard to ensure that communication is improved where needed and that we continue that engagement. That is my intention going forward.
The Member will be aware of my commitment to the A1. It is linked to my constituency. I have been vocal on that for many years. As he will know, the progression of many infrastructure projects has rested on the outcome of the appeal. It is therefore my intention that we move ahead at pace with all those projects, at the various stages, at the earliest possible opportunity. Obviously, we need to consider the judgement in detail to ensure that we do so accurately and do not miss anything that has been set out as part of that. It is my intention, however, that there will be no more delays and that we can get to work on all those projects.
Yes, absolutely. In the words of the Lady Chief Justice, the past 20 years have been "long and torturous", particularly for those families, because they have been mired in legal challenge after legal challenge. I hope that the judgement brings some sense and reality to the situation: the decision taken was the right one, and we are doing it for the right reasons. No one has anything to gain from a further legal challenge. This is about saving lives and improving the economic corridor for the entire north-west area and, indeed, as the Member said, our island. I ask those who have objected in the past and have submitted legal challenges to consider what they heard today and what they saw outside that courtroom. You cannot put into words just how much it means to the people who have been impacted on by the loss of life on that road. Let us move ahead and give them some comfort in their grief. Let us get the road built so that no other families go through what, sadly, they have gone through.
456 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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