That is why the DUP is acting. My colleague, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons, has written to DAERA Minister Andrew Muir, calling on him to urgently bring forward amendments to the current legislation. In his letter, Gordon makes crystal clear the course of action we demand of the Minister:
“As Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, we are calling on you to bring forward proposals to amend current legislation to incorporate emissions targets that are realistic, deliverable and which do not unduly constrain delivery of this Executive’s flagship projects and investment strategies. Furthermore, given the High Court’s commentary on the draft Climate Action Plan and provision of evidence with respect to the impacts of the A5, we would encourage you to use the public consultation period to reflect on the changes that will need to be made to ensure we are not restricting the ability of the Executive to deliver on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland.”
The Executive cannot be tied in knots by laws so rigid that they undermine public investment and public safety.
There is still time for Sinn Fein, Alliance and the SDLP to face up to what they’ve done and work with us to fix it. If they are serious about infrastructure, safety and developing Northern Ireland, then they must undo the damage they caused.
We warned this would happen. They didn’t listen. They cannot now walk away from the consequences.
It’s time for those who created this crisis to stand up, admit their mistake, and help deliver practical, deliverable climate policy that doesn’t paralyse progress in Northern Ireland.
Yours sincerely,
