Debate contribution: Flooding: Six Mile River

Debate contribution by Ms Liz Kimmins on 17 February 2026.

MLA

Ms Liz Kimmins

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

17 February 2026

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Adjournment

Heading

Flooding: Six Mile River

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5395171

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I thank the Member for that point. I am setting the scene for what happened across the board that evening. I absolutely understand that that does not give people comfort, especially if water is coming in. I met Jim and David. I was in their home and heard first-hand about their experience, which was absolutely horrendous. The stress of hoping that someone will come or offer some sort of support and not seeing that is unimaginable. As I will maybe explain later in my response, the meeting that night reflected the fact that we recognised where things did not turn out as they should have. However, we looked at that in the immediate aftermath and said, "How do we tighten it up?". I have responded to Members about how quickly we acted and how we can, hopefully, offer reassurance. It is an interim measure, and I am very conscious of that. It is not a long-term solution to any of the issues that we are here to discuss. I know that one of the guys is a Marie Curie nurse and had to leave work. That broader impact is so important in the midst of discussing something that, you think, we should be able to address there and then. On the prevention piece — this speaks to Dr Aiken's points — planning and flood risk policy here follows a very precautionary approach, with development in flood-prone areas avoided where possible. The issue of planning and development was raised with us by residents on the ground. Members will be aware that DFI Rivers is a statutory consultee in the planning process that is carried out by councils. We very much take it into consideration. I cannot speak to specific applications that were made in the past, but I recognise the concerns that have been raised by Members here and residents on the ground, and we will take those away. I am not sure whether concerns were raised at the time and applications went through or whether we felt, at that point in time, that the properties were not in a flood-prone area as such or that they would not have the impact that, people believe, they have had. I assure Members that the issue is being taken very seriously, given our experience across the board. As we see more such events, it becomes a more challenging issue. In the debate, someone mentioned the fact that more areas that never flooded previously are at high risk of flooding. That will very much change how we respond to a lot of applications going forward and will affect how seriously we take the issue. We cannot encourage someone to build a house in an area that we know will flood. All that has to be taken into consideration. Members will know that, as part of the process, applicants must submit a flood-risk assessment and/or a drainage assessment, demonstrating that appropriate measures will effectively mitigate any flood risk to the proposed development and will not increase flood risk elsewhere. That is part of the process. On protection, the development of flood alleviation schemes and the maintenance of drainage infrastructure are at the core of our activities. Presently, my Department has over 50 projects in its capital works programme, over half of which have been driven by proactive work in implementing the floods directive. As I mentioned, delivery of the schemes is complex and involves a number of key stages, including feasibility, design, procurement and construction. As Members mentioned, the scheme for Riverside in the Sixmilewater area is going through the feasibility stage, and we hope to see that concluding soon. In line with that, my Department remains committed to strengthening future preparedness. I think that that is what we all want to see and what we are all speaking to. Colin McGrath, who is not here now, mentioned the need for proper weather forecasting and how we can be more prepared. That is why I allocated money this year to the development of a flood forecasting centre. That, in itself, will enable us to get better data so that we can be better prepared. We cannot always predict the impact of the weather, but the more information that we have, the better that we can implement our preparedness. There is the work through the multi-agency partnerships and the training of staff through the civil contingencies learning and development strategy. On the community resilience piece, we mentioned the critical RCRG work in that area. I have seen that in other areas and how well it can work. I am conscious of time, Mr Speaker, so I hope that you will allow me a wee bit of flexibility so that I can get to the end of my remarks. As I said, it is currently anticipated that the feasibility study should be complete by the summer, after which any opportunities to accelerate work on it will be taken. I assure Members that if we are able to expedite the feasibility study, we will do so, as we recognise just how important it has been. Since storm Chandra, we have, as I said, reviewed isolated problem areas and taken immediate action to enhance operational resilience. Further follow-up work continues to be done, including undertaking detailed investigations, capturing lessons learned and facilitating urgent meetings or discussions with a number of those who were affected by the storm. That engagement will continue through the work of the RCRG's local volunteer groups, of which there are now 50 across the North. Those groups add another layer to the building of resilience and preparedness in communities right across the North, so we are not stepping away from our responsibilities. My DFI Rivers operational team will continue its inspection and maintenance regime for designated watercourses, including the Sixmilewater, and their associated infrastructure in the Antrim area. If an inspection determines that there is a blockage that significantly impedes the free flow of water in the watercourse or the drainage infrastructure, works will be programmed accordingly. As we have discussed, in all those cases, without taking away from what happens in one area, resources are heavily stretched when significant flooding happens across the North. We are trying to prioritise where we can get to and where we can have the best impact, but lessons have certainly been learnt from that specific incident. We want to make sure that we do more to build community confidence and also to get ahead of any future events in preparation for longer-term measures that are in train. In closing, I thank all Members for their contributions this evening. I appreciate having the opportunity to outline where the Department is at and also to emphasise and reinforce how important the issue is to me as the Minister and to the Department as we try to find solutions and protect people. I look forward to having continued engagement with Members and the community.

1,153 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:52 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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