Debate contribution: Flooding and Lack of Recovery Actions: South Down

Debate contribution by Mrs Cathy Mason on 13 January 2026.

MLA

Mrs Cathy Mason

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

13 January 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Adjournment

Heading

Flooding and Lack of Recovery Actions: South Down

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5316393

Read the official Assembly record

Text

First, I thank Diane Forsythe for securing the Adjournment debate. Extreme weather is no longer the exception; it is our reality, and it is our reality in South Down. As has been mentioned, the Downpatrick flood in 2023 and the recurring flooding in Newcastle have caused concern and fear among the local community. I mention Downpatrick and Newcastle specifically, but, of course, many areas and many homes are at risk of localised flooding, and those are areas that have never flooded before. There is a clear need for all Departments to tailor their responses, with the frequency and severity of extreme weather events making that increasingly clear. Many homes in Newcastle were only millimetres away from being flooded again in October last year. At the early stages of the potential flooding, the Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins, acted swiftly to make sure that upwards of 1,200 extra sandbags were made available to prevent flood damage to households in that area. DFI Roads and Rivers officials were on the ground monitoring water levels at Shimna river and clearing large stones and debris to help relieve the rising water. The advice from the Infrastructure Minister was consistent, and immediate action was taken to prevent extreme flood damage. I pay tribute to those DFI Rivers and Roads officials and, of course, our council staff, who are always on the ground battling the elements during such events. As Diane mentioned, we are fortunate to have the strong support of our local community and, particularly, the Newcastle regional community resilience group, which provided vital communication throughout the flooding, and, of course, the Mourne Mountain Rescue Team, which, in that instance, brought a stranded hiker down to safety from the Mournes. Whilst great strides have been made to protect homes and businesses, there are, of course, lessons that need to be learned by all Departments so that they can ensure that they are ready and able to respond to storm and flood risks, especially in South Down. That applies across the board. We must ensure that lessons are learned in order to aid recovery. Lessons must be learned from the Education Minister and EA's delays in closing schools during storm Amy. The lack of clear and timely communication caused chaos for schools and families. There needs to be better communication and coordination between the Department of Education and the Met Office in preparation for school closures across South Down. When extreme weather conditions cause a threat to those who are homeless — something that we saw during the recent cold snap — the Department for Communities, the Housing Executive and our councils must be able to enact their severe weather emergency protocol (SWEP) to protect those who are most vulnerable. The reality is that, at present, there is not sufficient emergency accommodation across the North to ensure that every person can access safe and local emergency accommodation if and when they need it. Just today, we have seen the shocking figures that show that housing waiting times in South Down are the longest in the North. Some families are having to wait approximately 45 months. That leaves families who are already in vulnerable living arrangements at risk of having no safe shelter during storms. I think that everyone will agree that that is not acceptable in this day and age. We need the Communities Minister to work alongside everyone to ensure that emergency accommodation is available always, but, at the very least, when we see extreme conditions. We are still dealing with the aftermath of the devastating flooding that affected Downpatrick and Newcastle in 2023. It had a severe impact on the whole local area. Despite extremely challenging circumstances, the resilience of our small and family-owned local businesses and remarkable community spirit shone through when everyone came together to support one another. We saw the former Economy Minister, Conor Murphy's, announcement of the flood support scheme, which provided vital relief to small and family traders, helping them to restore their premises and continue serving their communities. I also acknowledge the work of former Infrastructure Minister, John O'Dowd, who laid important groundwork. Of course, I also thank the current Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins, for her continued engagement and, I have to say, compassion for the residents and businesses in Newcastle and Downpatrick as she has listened to the concerns and worked to prevent a repeat of such devastating floods. Those responses show the importance of all Departments working together not only to reduce damage from extreme weather but to support our communities to recover and rebuild. When storms and extreme weather strike, every Department needs to step up and play its part. We are better when we work together, as we always see. That means not only delivering the interventions that are required to prevent destruction and damage but intervening and helping communities to recover and rebuild after disaster strikes.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:18 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