Debate contribution: Waste Water Infrastructure
Debate contribution by Ms Liz Kimmins on .
- MLA
- Ms Liz Kimmins
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 19 January 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Waste Water Infrastructure
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5322281
Read the official Assembly record
Text
NI Water has advised my Department that, on the basis of analysis of pre-development enquiry responses, waste water impact assessment applications, planning applications and the NI Housing Executive's three-year social housing development programme, approximately 17,200 residential properties and 200 commercial properties are unable to connect to the waste water network. However, following my predecessor's and my ring-fencing of funding to NI Water, which will unlock capacity for over 5,300 of those properties, that number comes down to around 12,000. The 5,300 properties to which we have provided funding to unlock is above NI Water's original plans for 4,500 properties in the period of 2021-27 under price control 21 (PC21) and represents a significant achievement by my Department and NI Water in delivering much-needed waste water infrastructure. I note, however, that the properties that require a connection to the sewerage infrastructure are at various stages of the planning system. For example, some have conditional planning in place and can connect only when the waste water infrastructure has been upgraded. Others are not yet planning-approved but have been submitted for planning. Much of the process is dependent on actions from developers, and I encourage developers to continue working with NI Water through the pre-development process, as there may be developer-led solutions available for some of the properties. It remains a fact that there are many areas across the North where NI Water will need to upgrade the relevant waste water infrastructure. Unfortunately, as Members know, the Budget that the Executive receive from London continues to be substantially short of what is needed. As a result, my Department does not have funding for everything that we want or need to do. Prioritisation is therefore required. To help address capacity issues further and encourage economic growth across the North, I will continue to develop the three-pronged approach that is already in place by working with Executive colleagues to ensure appropriate investment for NI Water, as well as bringing forward my Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill, which was recently introduced in the Assembly. We have also recently consulted on options to introduce developer contributions, which will help fund waste water infrastructure improvements. The consultation responses are currently with the Department.
367 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.02 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.90).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.90 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 1.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
| Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:16 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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