To ask the Minister for the Economy whether she has had any engagement with the Minister for Communities and the Minister for Infrastructure in relation to support for businesses that cannot avail of premises due to lack of wastewater capacity, making the redevelopment of derelict properties inaccessible.

The Executive’s Programme for Government recognises that historic underfunding of our water and wastewater infrastructure has been a persistent challenge for economic development in the north.

Water infrastructure is a critical enabler for industrial development, both through indigenous business growth and Foreign Direct Investment, and that is why Invest NI maintains a strong working relationship with NI Water to understand network constraints and the potential for co-ordinated strategic investment and partnership aligned with its Regional Property Programme. That 10-year Programme represents a new approach to the provision of Industrial land and property that will act as a key enabler to achieving a more regionally balanced economy and will bring forward proposals that aim to refurbish and repurpose existing industrial building stock

I met recently with the Minister for Infrastructure and NI Water officials to receive a briefing on a pathfinder project in Newry, where investment by a business in on-site wastewater treatment technology is reducing pollution and freeing up capacity for development in that area. I am open to exploring how we can incentivise larger businesses to make similar investments, recognising the very significant budgetary constraints we face.