Debate contribution: Dilapidation Bill: Extension of Committee Stage

Debate contribution by Mr Robbie Butler on 23 September 2025.

MLA

Mr Robbie Butler

Party at the time

Ulster Unionist Party

Date

23 September 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Committee Business

Heading

Dilapidation Bill: Extension of Committee Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5129177

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. On behalf of the AERA Committee, I request an extension to the Committee Stage of the Dilapidation Bill to 15 May 2026. That date was agreed after discussions at the Committee meeting on 11 September 2025. The Committee was first briefed on the proposed content of the Bill at its meeting on 26 June by officials from DAERA's neighbourhood environment quality branch. We considered the outline of the 31 clauses and two schedules. We were informed that the Bill is intended to provide Northern Ireland councils with the powers to deal with dilapidated, dangerous or neglected buildings and sites and to establish a fit-for-purpose enforcement regime. That reflects the powers already available in the rest of the UK and will enhance the cost recovery powers for councils. The Committee heard that the Bill provides for a tiered approach based on severity of dilapidation, with those requiring emergency action being judged to be the most severe. The Committee recognises that much of the current legislation is old and that the departmental consultation in relation to the Bill was carried out almost a decade ago, in 2016. Given the length of time that has elapsed, it is of utmost importance that the Committee take its time to fully scrutinise all the aspects and impacts that the Bill may have to ensure that it addresses the current issues across buildings and sites and that it is viable for councils, in terms of resources, in the current financial climate. The Department's 2016 consultation received 24 responses, mainly from councils, and there was majority support for introducing a Bill with a new broader, updated regime to deal with dilapidated and dangerous structures, neglected sites and a range of visual amenity issues. However, Members are all aware of dilapidated buildings leading to further neglect in an area, and you do not need to go too far from this Building to see a row of dilapidated vacant shops, at the Knock lights, that have been that way for many years. In the Second Stage debate, Members raised significant issues about the Dilapidation Bill and highlighted the need to see DAERA guidance documentation that will accompany the Bill. I thank the Department for moving on that guidance at pace, and a draft has now been provided to the Committee. That will ensure our enhanced scrutiny at Committee Stage. One of the reasons for the extension date is that the Bill is not as straightforward as it seems, as demonstrated by the issues raised at Second Stage by Committee members and other Members of the Assembly. Therefore, the AERA Committee will need to scrutinise the powers provided to councils and whether it is appropriate that they be discretionary, as well as the full financial and wider resource impacts on councils in implementing the Bill, as guaranteed central funding is not provided for in it, and to explore further whether the cost recovery mechanisms are fit for purpose to encourage councils to use those powers. We will also look at ensuring that there is adequate cooperation and clear communication between councils, landowners, occupiers and other interested parties; the adequacy of the fees and fixed penalty charges; and the time frames for remedial action and dealing with unregistered land.

The Committee is due to receive a briefing from the Assembly's Research and Information Service (RaISe) at its next meeting, on 25 September. We received its paper yesterday, so we know that RaISe has highlighted further pertinent queries and issues in addition to those that I have just mentioned. The Committee will want to pursue them in detail with external witnesses and departmental officials. For example, further clarity is required from councils on whether the ability to seek compensation under emergency action will have an impact on their decision to use the powers, and there are concerns about the habitat and conservation aspects associated with dilapidated buildings. The Committee will also want to explore and compare the provisions in other jurisdictions to assess whether they are working well. At this point, the Committee's public call for evidence on Citizen Space is still open and will remain so until 10 October. We encourage all interested individuals and groups to recognise the Bill's potential impacts and to respond to the call for evidence and the invitation to provide oral evidence to the Committee. The Committee is particularly keen to hear from councils, relevant advisory bodies, professional bodies and the housing and rental sectors and NGOs. The Committee wishes to give the focused issues and wider impact of the Bill due diligence and scrutiny, while keeping on top of its extensive scrutiny remit for statutory rules (SRs) and the new agriculture, environment and fishing policy that seems to be moving forward. The Committee is also aware of the need to provide sufficient time for its deliberations and to allow additional time, given the likelihood of further Bills overlapping with this Bill in the near future. Having consulted the Bill Office and having considered the evidence that we wish to take on the Bill and our other ongoing other work, the Committee seeks the support of the House to extend the Committee Stage of the Dilapidation Bill until 15 May 2026. We will, of course, work at pace to report in advance of that date, if that is at all possible.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:10 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification