East Belfast MLA, Sammy Douglas has pressed for urgent and immediate action to address the flooding crisis across East Belfast.

Speaking after an emergency debate in the chamber in which Regional Development Minister Danny Kennedy answered questions from MLAs he said: "We have witnessed exceptional circumstances with record levels of rainfall which has led to the worst flooding in many decades. Exceptional circumstances require exceptional responses and urgent action must be taken at the highest level. I urged the Minister, who visited some of the areas most affected last Thursday, to work with the various agencies and his colleagues in the Executive to respond as quickly as possible and help the hundreds of households and businesses that have been badly affected"

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Sammy also met with First Minister Peter Robinson and Finance Minister Sammy Wilson to look at ways to help East Belfast communities and businesses who have suffered so much. Speaking after the meeting he said: "I am reassured by our Ministers that everything possible will be done in the short term to alleviate the hardships that people have been experiencing". He also revealed that after discussions with Connswater Community Greenway, he and the First Minister have arranged a meeting with the Rivers Agency and their Minister, Michelle O’Neill to discuss ways of cutting bureaucracy and red tape to speed up immediate work at Orangefield and other areas of East Belfast which need to be prioritised due to ongoing flooding and flood risk."

(CD/GK)