Durkan calls for Climate Change Act 2022 to be amended after A5 ruling

Transcript

00:00And I'm sure we all, at least I hope we all, share the Minister's disappointment and frustration

00:06at today's judgment on the A5, but that will pale in comparison to the devastation felt by the many

00:14families who have lost loved ones along this route and who have led the campaign for change,

00:20and our thoughts are with them today. Can the Minister advise the Assembly on her immediate

00:26response to the decision, what implications it has for the future of this Executive Flagship project,

00:32and how her department intends to address the concerns raised by the court?

00:39Yes, so as I've said in response to the previous member, this is hugely disappointing. In fact,

00:45it's heartbreaking, particularly for all of those who have campaigned very strongly, all of those

00:51families involved who have put so much time and effort in it, despite dealing with their own grief

00:57and their own loss. But they believe that this is the way to ensure that no other family goes through

01:04what they have gone through. And I think that's something that we all should reflect on,

01:08because the judge indeed, and given his judgment today, reflected on how this decision will cause

01:17anguish and heartbreak for all of those families. As I've also said, this is a very detailed judgment.

01:24And I think it will take some time for both myself and my officials and legal team to go through the

01:31detail of that, to look at what the implications are, and how we chart a way forward. Because as I've said,

01:39this road needs to be built. We cannot allow any more lives to be lost. And I am determined that we do

01:45find a solution and we do find a way forward, as I think that lives are too important. And I don't

01:52want any other family going through what those families have experienced. Mr Durkin. Will the

01:57Minister, along with her executive colleagues, prepare emergency amending legislation to clarify

02:03the relevant section or sections of the Climate Change Act, an act that in its entirety was voted

02:11through by all in this House, preserving its core purpose, but clarifying that it cannot be used to

02:19block action necessary to save life? Or has she another plan B? Well, again, as I've said, I mean,

02:30I want to see a solution to this. We need to act in the immediacy, but it's important that we do this

02:36very, very thoroughly. This is a very detailed decision. Implications that we don't know at

02:41this stage, because I think it was maybe less than three hours ago that we got the here, we got the

02:46judgment. So I think it would be remiss of me to start saying I'm going to do this, I'm going to do

02:51that without considering that in great detail. And I will be engaging with my legal team and officials on

02:56that in a very thorough manner. Because as I've said, this is the third time that there's been a legal

03:02challenge in relation to this road. Families are tired, families want to see this built, and that's

03:06my priority at the front of this. So I think as we chart through that and as we work our way through

03:11the judgment that the judge has provided today, we will be in a better position to make comment on that.