Debate contribution: Flood Alleviation Plans: Antrim
Debate contribution by Ms Liz Kimmins on .
- MLA
- Ms Liz Kimmins
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 9 February 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Flood Alleviation Plans: Antrim
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5369484
Read the official Assembly record
Text
With your permission a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle
, I will answer questions 3 and 14 together. My Department’s Rivers directorate continues to progress a feasibility study to assess the river flood risk to properties in the Antrim area of potential significant flood risk. That work will identify whether there are any viable schemes to reduce the impacts of river flooding in the area, including at Riverside/Massereene Street, Meadowside, Muckamore and Dunadry. Ongoing work includes information gathering, progressing with updating the supporting hydrological analyses for the Sixmilewater river and early optioneering. It is anticipated that the feasibility study should be complete in summer 2026, as Members will be aware. Any opportunities to accelerate work on that study will be taken. In the immediate aftermath of the recent flooding, I visited Riverside, Antrim, where I met affected residents to listen to their concerns. Flooding of homes and businesses is absolutely devastating and distressing for those impacted, and, that day, I gave a commitment that we would do all that we can to manage it as best we can. Staff from Rivers and Roads teams also attended an urgent meeting with Riverside and Massereene Street residents last Wednesday. My understanding is that the session was constructive and robust. Officials provided an update on the Department’s immediate actions and longer-term plans for Antrim. I wish to advise that, as I said they would be when I visited two weeks ago, the operational protocols at Riverside were reviewed and updated with immediate effect to ensure strengthened operational readiness. Across the wider Antrim area, as co-chair of the regional community groups, we plan to convene a regional community resilience group (RCRG) meeting with multi-agency partners in the coming weeks. At that session, we will share the lessons learned from the recent flooding event. It is anticipated that that will also provide an opportunity to expand the group’s membership to include representatives from the areas most affected. The work of the RCRG helps to build resilience in communities. That is not my Department stepping away from its responsibilities; rather, it is an extra layer of support proposed for those impacted by flood events.
355 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 (0.74).
- 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 | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.74 | 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 | 0.61 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.39 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:32 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.