Stormont Infrastructure Minister pressed over next steps after A5 setback
The A5 project suffered a major knockback on Monday when the Stormont Executive's decision to proceed with the upgrade was quashed at the High Court in Belfast.
Mr Justice McAlinden said the proposed scheme breached elements of the Climate Change Act 2022.
There have been more than 50 deaths on the road, which links Londonderry with Aughnacloy in Co Tyrone, since 2006.
Liz Kimmins appeared at the Assembly for an urgent question on the situation on Tuesday afternoon.
She described to MLAs a 'hugely disappointing day' on Monday for her, as well as the families of those who have died on the road.
She said it had been a 'very detailed judgment' that her and her officials will 'take time to carefully consider in full, including any implications for the scheme and the department's next steps'.
'It was the first legal test for the Climate Change Act and for the Climate Action Plan, something that every department will now have to deal with the outworkings of,' she told MLAs.
'It's deeply regrettable that we have received this decision as we continue to see so many lives lost on this road, deaths that cause so much pain to families and tear our communities apart.
'It is undoubtedly the most dangerous road in Ireland, so my priority remains the safety and wellbeing of all road users, and I am determined that we will deliver the A5.
'Building the road will save lives, will create jobs, and will significantly reduce journey times between the north west and Dublin.
'So despite this setback, I'm determined to find a way forward that sees this road built to ensure that we save lives, and every single day of delay risks more avoidable heartbreak, and as infrastructure minister, I'm determined to ensure that a new A5 is delivered.'
Stormont Infrastructure Committee chairwoman Deborah Erskine put it to Ms Kimmins that the situation is an outworking of 'unrealistic and punitive climate targets'.
'Her party was joined by the SDLP and Alliance in imposing unrealistic and punitive climate targets despite the explicit warnings from the then agriculture and environment minister about the long-term impacts of those varied targets on other government departments, including the Department for Infrastructure,' the DUP MLA said.
'Will you now take responsibility for the real world impacts of virtue signalling that has led us to this point, and apologise for it and outline how you intend to solve this mess of which other parties and your party created here.'
Ms Kimmins responded saying it was 'not the time for point scoring'.
'Across the world people are taking action in terms of climate change and our responsibilities to deal with that,' she said.
'I think in the context of what we are talking about here today, I think it's important to remember the families who are impacted by this decision. This is not a time for point scoring, this is a time about looking for solutions. That's what I'm committed to doing, and that's what I'm determined to do.'
SDLP MLA Daniel McCrossan also criticised Ms Kimmins, contending she 'should have provided clarity on the immediate next steps for this life-saving project', instead of saying they will take time to consider the judgment in full.
'This is time she does not have, people's lives are at stake every day on the A5,' he said.
'The minister, her predecessor John O'Dowd, and the Department for Infrastructure must take responsibility for this latest delay.
'The SDLP Opposition has brought forward a proposal to amend the climate legislation to enable the A5 upgrade to proceed.
'We are willing to do whatever is necessary to make progress and get this road built. We now need to see the same urgency from the minister to deliver this project and save lives.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
25 minutes ago
- The Independent
Conor McGregor loses appeal against civil jury's finding he sexually assaulted a woman
Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor on Thursday lost his legal appeal against a civil court's finding that he sexually assaulted a woman at a Dublin hotel. In November a jury at the High Court in Dublin found McGregor liable for assaulting Nikita Hand, who says he 'brutally raped and battered' her in a hotel penthouse in 2018. He was ordered to pay Hand almost 250,000 euros ($285,000), as well as about 1.3 million euros ($1.5 million) in legal costs. Hand, 35, successfully sued McGregor in civil court after prosecutors declined to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence and a conviction was unlikely. The Associated Press generally does not name alleged victims of sexual violence unless they come forward publicly, as Hand has done. McGregor alleged that Hand fabricated the allegations after the two had consensual sex. He launched an appeal, but at a hearing earlier this month his lawyer unexpectedly withdrew a request to introduce new evidence. Three appeals court judges in Dublin on Thursday dismissed the appeal 'in its entirety.' Hand was in court for the ruling, but McGregor was not. The 37-year-old fighter, once the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship but now past his prime in the ring, has become known for anti-immigration statements and criticism of Irish politicians. He has flirted with the idea of running for president of Ireland. U.S. President Donald Trump, a UFC fan, invited McGregor to the White House to mark St. Patrick's Day in March. McGregor also faces a lawsuit in Florida for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman in the bathroom of the Kaseya Center, home arena of the Miami Heat, during a 2023 NBA finals game with the Denver Nuggets.
The Guardian
26 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Coalition is wedging itself on climate crisis with net zero debate, warns Liberal MP in Scott Morrison's former seat
One of the Liberal party's two surviving inner-metropolitan MPs has warned voters see the Coalition as unserious on climate change, suggesting the opposition could lose more seats to Labor if it opposes policies for net zero by 2050. Simon Kennedy, the member for the Sydney seat of Cook, previously held by Scott Morrison, told a closed-door meeting of Liberal and Nationals MPs at Parliament House that the Coalition should be 'wedging' Labor on energy policy, not backsliding on efforts to cut carbon emissions. The previously unreported comments were prompted by former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce's private member's bill to overturn net zero, announced last week. After a series of anti-net zero statements from Joyce and climate sceptic MPs including Barker MP Tony Pasin, Joyce, and Nationals senator Matt Canavan, Kennedy was the only Coalition MP to speak up for net zero policies. His intervention prompted calls of support from a range of Coalition MPs across parliament. Sign up: AU Breaking News email Both the Liberals and the Nationals are reviewing net zero policies after their May election loss. A review of the Coalition's 2022 federal election defeat noted perceptions of the Morrison government's response to issues including the climate crisis had seen it lose voters, including to teal independents. 'My personal belief and the community's belief is that we need to be serious on climate and reducing energy prices,' Kennedy told the meeting. 'There's a debate on net zero and they [the public] interpret us as not being serious on climate.' Party room deliberations are traditionally kept confidential. Kennedy described climate and energy policies as 'Labor's weakest point,' predicting the Albanese government would miss its targets for renewables uptake and emissions reductions. 'It's a false dichotomy that we have to choose between lowering energy prices and lowering emissions,' he said. 'We should be wedging them on their own plan, not ourselves.' Guardian Australia approached Kennedy about his comments. He said the Coalition should be leading a robust debate about 'Labor's mess' naming the energy and emissions minister, Chris Bowen. 'Bowen's lie of lower energy prices is wrecking Australia's economy and we've still failed to meet targets,' Kennedy said. 'The politics and policy line up for us. We can set a clear, credible framework that drives investment in the technology already being developed by the private sector. 'The Liberal future should be built on innovation: delivering cheaper, cleaner power and a stronger economy powered by Australian ingenuity, not empty promises.' South Australian Liberal senator Andrew McLachlan the Coalition's comprehensive policy review, being led by the shadow energy minister, Dan Tehan, was warranted. 'It is also important to note that while some members have begun publicly advocating for the abandonment of our net zero by 2050 commitment, that is in no way a fait accompli in our party room,' McLachlan said. 'There are many in favour of continuing our emissions reduction targets, both for environmental and economic reasons.' One MP present for the meeting, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said there were frustrations the policy reviews were being overshadowed by the small but vocal group opposing net zero. They said Kennedy's comments 'solidified support' behind the party process. 'It [the net zero debate] has caused frustration towards that small group, and probably lost them some support [internally].' Another Coalition member, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said MPs should let the policy reviews run their course. 'People should respect the process. The process is important to have their [Coalition members'] opinions be heard and for us to come up with a considered position.' Labor used its majority on Thursday to allow debate on Joyce's private member's bill in the House of Representatives next month. Joyce was the only Coalition MP to vote with the government and members of the crossbench to allow debate. Former Liberal minister Simon Birmingham told the Australia Grains Industry Conference in Melbourne that Labor and Climate 200 were successfully weaponising Nationals' positions on climate against the Liberals. 'It is a problem. There's little point shying away from it,' the newly appointed Australian Banking Industry chief executive said on Thursday. 'If you look at the way things that are said by National party figures or leaders are then deployed in campaigns against Liberal candidates in those urban electorates, it has clearly real cut-through. 'The real debate that the Coalition can and should be having in terms of talking to voters today is about the five- to 10-year horizon: around their power prices, their fertiliser prices – the pressure points that are happening on the journey to net zero.'
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Police chief voices hope of agreement on dealing with legacy of NI's Troubles
Northern Ireland's chief constable has expressed hope for a new agreement on how to deal with the legacy of the region's troubled past. Jon Boutcher was speaking following a commemoration to remember three musicians from the Miami Showband who were killed in a loyalist ambush close to Newry 50 years ago. Mr Boutcher was among a crowd who visited a memorial on the Buskhill Road on Thursday afternoon to remember Fran O'Toole, Tony Geraghty and Brian McCoy. Those gathered included Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden was killed in the 1998 Omagh bomb, and Eugene Reavey, whose brothers Anthony, John Martin and Brian were shot dead in an attack at their family home in Co Armagh in January 1976. Mr Boutcher told media: 'There are still so many uncertainties for so many people, and that's not right. 'Everybody knows my position on legacy, I think transparency and openness are critical. The report that I did on Operation Kenova reflects that, and I am very alive to and aware of national security issues. I have been involved with those all of my professional career, I know them better than anybody in policing, so you can do both. 'I think we may be close to coming to a position, and certainly I hope we are, where there will be a new agreement around what the future of legacy looks like, and I'm keen to hear the fruits of the recent talks between the two governments.' He added: 'We have now got to get legacy right. 'At the time that a lot of these cases occurred, half the community didn't trust police or security forces, which I understand. 'The volume of things that were happening, the murders, the attacks, meant that the security forces couldn't deal with them. There was then without doubt failures within a number of those investigations. We have now got to put that right.' Mr Boutcher said he had been invited to attend the commemoration by Miami Showband survivors Des Lee and Stephen Travers. 'I'd consider them to be people who have inspired me, helped me understand legacy here,' he said. 'I've spent a significant amount of time with both men and they have taught me a lot, and asked me if I would be here, and they are the example of what humility, courage and actually what this word reconciliation is all about. 'I'm here because it is the very least I could do, to be here.' Mr Lee paid tribute to Mr Boutcher as he spoke during the event as a special person he would like to thank. 'He is a gentleman who has helped me quite a lot in the past, he's now the leader of the PSNI and he is here with us today to commemorate the 50th anniversary,' he said.
