Debate contribution: Sea Defences: Donaghadee
Debate contribution by Ms Liz Kimmins on .
- MLA
- Ms Liz Kimmins
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 13 October 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Sea Defences: Donaghadee
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5789843
Read the official Assembly record
Text
As the Member will know, a multi-agency and cross-departmental response is needed in preparation for the continuing impacts of climate change. My Department is the lead Department on some of the weather emergencies, and we have seen that in the past. We work very closely with the Member's party colleague the AERA Minister and with others, including local councils, to look at all of those issues. Where we have experience and where there are challenges, we work to see how we can address them. Climate change underpins a lot of the work that we are doing, particularly around flood risk management and the impact of storms. It is Flood Awareness Week this week, so we have been doing some work on how individuals can be prepared for the risk of flooding and protect themselves, their homes and their businesses. We are also working with other Departments, including the Department for the Economy, on flood protection measures for businesses. A pilot scheme was launched recently in my own town, Newry. We have been working on flood alleviation schemes for Downpatrick, Newry, Portadown and Antrim etc. All of that work is fundamental to not only building resilience but protecting homes, businesses, people and all of our infrastructure. There is no one key action there; we are continuously taking on a range of actions. We will do more work in the time ahead to demonstrate to the wider community what that involves, including the level of multi-agency and cross-departmental work that will be required.
251 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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