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Newry & Armagh MLA Justin McNulty has hit out at Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins over her decision to proceed with a voluntary rather than mandatory approach to developer contributions for wastewater infrastructure, saying it will not resolve a crisis that is preventing thousands of homes from being built in Newry and across the north.
The SDLP Opposition Infrastructure Spokesperson was responding after the Minister announced that companies could make voluntary contributions towards housing developments. The policy had originally been announced in late 2024 by the previous Infrastructure Minister.
McNulty said: "Voluntary developer contributions for wastewater infrastructure are like putting a tip jar at the till - developers are often already paying to overcome wastewater constraints. It also raises potential equality concerns, as developers may be inclined to focus on building in certain areas, leaving others behind."
The Newry & Armagh MLA acknowledged that mandatory contributions would not be a complete solution, particularly in relation to social housing delivery, but said it remained one of the few concrete proposals put forward to address the wastewater crisis. "This latest move from the Minister is a piecemeal step dressed up as something significant," he said.
McNulty also directed criticism at Sinn Féin more broadly, saying: "Sinn Féin Ministers cannot take their usual tack of blaming the DUP and the British Government for a lack of progress - this is not controversial, it is about managing our water infrastructure and building homes. It increasingly appears they are running out of ideas when it comes to dealing with the real challenges facing the North."
