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A Leas-Cheann Comhairle , I formally endorse the Committee Chair's remarks on the sad passing of your father. As the Committee Chair outlined, we took evidence and got very helpful advice on the Bill from one of the Minister's officials. During a very informative evidence session, the official answered all the…
I beg to move Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. Members will be aware that I and my Department are working towards an economic vision aimed at creating good jobs, increasing productivity and promoting regional balance and decarbonisation. While perhaps not as high profile as those areas, our insolvency…
I agree. The legislation will have teeth, and we need to make sure that the councils apply it so that there is a deterrent effect when it comes to people allowing buildings to get into a dilapidated state. There is localism in Northern Ireland, in that district councils can decide what way they are going forward on…
I thank the Minister for giving way. I want to come back to the point that you raised about why councils do not compel people and why the options are there. It is not that I am being critical of councils, because great work is done up and down the country. The Minister will know, as I do, that, in some areas where the…
I thank the Minister for giving way. I appreciate those answers. Minister, your North Belfast colleague raised the point about housing, and I refer to compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) as well. Is there any specific intention to reuse buildings for housing as part of the Bill, or is that more of a matter for DFC? Have…
I am not sure whether the intervention is appropriate, because you have just raised the cost issue. Something that happens in towns at times — I am sure that most people have experienced it — is that the ownership of a building lapses because someone dies, and there is no will or probate to pick it up. Has the…
I am grateful to everyone in the Chamber who contributed to the debate. It is what the Assembly is about: scrutinising and passing legislation. I will seek to respond to the points that were made. A variety of issues were raised, and I will try my best to deal with them. At the outset, I declare that I am a member of…
I apologise, Mr Deputy Speaker, for coming in late. It had not been my intention to speak at this stage, but I take the opportunity to praise the Minister and his officials for introducing the Bill. I agree with much of what has been said today. The Bill is long overdue. A lot of work has gone into getting it to this…
My party supports the broad aims of the Bill. I thank the Minister for bringing it to the House. It is important that councils have more powers to tackle dilapidated and neglected buildings and to ensure that those buildings are utilised for the public good. I welcome the provisions that give powers to councils to…
I welcome the Bill at its Second Stage. I am grateful that my party colleague, Alliance Minister Muir, introduced it. I remember that, back in 2012 or 2013, when I was an activist in the Alliance Party, my first piece of activism was to write a letter to the then Minister Durkan — I think that it must have been 2013 —…
I warmly welcome the Second Stage of the Bill. I am not a member of the Agriculture Committee, and I do not represent a rural constituency, but, given the speeches that have been made today, it is clear that, for those of us who represent inner-city constituencies, the purpose of the Bill is very welcome indeed. As…
Is geal linn cuspóir Bhille an Trochlaithe. Ní féidir neamhaird a thabhairt ar an drochthionchar a bhíonn ag foirgnimh chontúirteacha thréigthe ar na bailte móra, sráidbhailte agus cathracha againn. Tá sé thar am cur i bhfeidhm atá níos láidre agus níos comhsheasmhaí a fhorbairt. Mar sin féin, cé go dtacaímid leis an…
As Alliance AERA spokesperson, I express our support for the Dilapidation Bill at its Second Stage. As has already been indicated by others in the debate, this is a long-awaited and crucial piece of legislation that aims to empower district councils with the necessary tools to address the pressing issue of dilapidated…
I was somewhat amused earlier when I heard the SDLP say that too much legislation is coming. One day, the SDLP says that there is not enough, and, the next day, it says that there is too much. You wonder what sort of Opposition you have. It reminds me of a bit of Ulster-Scots poetry that says: "In no other country,…
I thank the Minister for introducing the Bill and commend the Members who have spoken, including the Chair of the Committee, who accurately reflected the deliberations that we have had so far on the Bill. Sinn Féin welcomes the intent of the Dilapidation Bill. Across our towns and villages, the impact of dereliction…
I thank the Member for giving way. He has rightly identified the fact that the recovery of costs is often more easily said than done. Does the Minister recognise a situation where so much of the public estate has fallen into disrepair and dilapidation, and does he envisage a situation where councils therefore pursue…
We are all feeling a little dilapidated, Mr Deputy Speaker: it is the end of the Assembly term. I will concentrate my remarks on the Dilapidation Bill, speaking on behalf of the Opposition. I am not on the AERA Committee, but I will make some brief remarks on the Bill, the principles of which we support. It is a…
Thank you. I return to the much-anticipated Dilapidation Bill, regardless of whether the Member thinks that it came quickly enough or not. I was reading through the papers in regard to our responses to dilapidation, and it goes back to about 1973, actually. So, it is not even that we have been waiting for 10 years for…
I thank the Member for his intervention. It is an interesting point. I do not necessarily disagree, but I think that the people of Northern Ireland have suffered from too little politics for many years. If it means that we have to stay here for longer in the day, we certainly will have to truck through.
While it is not the fault of this Minister, and while we want legislation, we will have debated six Bill stages over the course of yesterday and today, despite having had lots of days of debating meaningless motions. Does the Member agree that it might be a wee bit much to have half a dozen full-blown Bill stages in…
I beg to move First, I thank my Executive colleagues for their support for the Bill. I look forward to working with Members across the Chamber to take the Bill forward, particularly with members of the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee, which is ably chaired by Robbie Butler. I say with some…
I thank the Minister for giving way. He raises a valid and important point. Clause 6(4) states: "(a) the Council may consider the likely effect of that policy, or any alternative policies, on the public finances, but (b) must not make any recommendation as to the adoption or rejection of that policy, or as to the…