Debate contribution: Water Infrastructure
Debate contribution by Mr John O'Dowd on .
- MLA
- Mr John O'Dowd
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 5 March 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Water Infrastructure
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4252614
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I understand that there are particular constraints in the Belfast area. I had a meeting with my officials this morning about the Belfast Living with Water scheme. The cost of that scheme has risen significantly. It is under review. I have asked my officials to report on that review to me as soon as possible. I will have to match that review against my budget settlement, and then, as I said to Mr McGlone, I will have to prioritise things in my Department against things in the Executive. This goes back to the point that I made, and it should be delivered loud and clear to everyone: early engagement with NI Water is essential, particularly by developers. That brand of "economically constrained" sends out too negative a message. It is too definitive, too rigid. There are opportunities to develop in those areas. It may not be funded directly by NI Water; it may have to be for developers. I understand that there might be financial concerns around the developers, but we will have to do things slightly differently from the way in which we did them before, and we will have to be imaginative about it. I encourage developers to engage with NI Water at an early stage. NI Water has now built up a good relationship with social housing providers, ensuring that each knows the other's priorities and plans. It is like many things in life: engagement is key.
240 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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