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Mr John O'Dowd: Assembly records
All of Mr John O'Dowd’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not qualifying, uncertain or not yet analysed.
I thank the Member for giving way. This is where early engagement with NI Water comes in. At the end of the day, it will be a decision that the developer has to make. If the developer believes that the project remains profitable even if they have to invest in it, the project will go ahead. If they do not, it will not.…
Apologies to the Member; I meant to include this in my contribution. He mentioned monitoring discharges. Price control 21 includes funding for 700 event duration monitors to monitor overflows. Bathing waters and shellfish areas are being prioritised for the fitting of event duration monitors, so, there is progress,…
Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. First, I thank the UUP for securing the debate on NI Water's funding model. I also send my best wishes to John Stewart and wish him a speedy recovery. As Members know, NI Water was established in 2007 as a government-owned company — it is not a private enterprise…
First, I thank Michelle McIlveen for instigating this important debate on road safety on the A20 Portaferry Road. As has been pointed out, every life lost is a tragedy for those involved, and that is why road safety is one of my highest priorities as Infrastructure Minister. I have listened intently to the comments on…
Before I enter the substantive debate, I say this to Members: yes, there was a press release prepared for the debate, but it was embargoed until 7.00 pm, so I do not know why it is in whatever media outlet it is in. I have asked my Department to follow that up, because I respect the Chamber, and, as would be expected,…
First, I thank Nicola Brogan MLA for instigating this debate on the delivery of the A5 dual carriageway. I have listened with interest to the comments and issues raised by Members, and it is clear that the delivery of the A5 project is of huge importance for Members, as it is for me as Minister for Infrastructure. I…
Both Administrations continue to attach priority to the Narrow Water bridge. The Irish Government's Shared Island Fund provided €3 million to bring the Narrow Water bridge project to the tender stage, with a further €2 million provided to complete the tender process, which concluded in October 2022. Following an…
Unfortunately, one of the areas in which we have had to reduce spending is advertising about road safety. There are some deliberations about how effective that messaging can be and at what times it should be at, but I want to send out this clear message: no matter how much my Department spends on improving roads,…
I thank the Member for her question. I published the 'Draft Road Safety Strategy to 2030' in October 2022. Since its publication, officials have continued to progress the work on the strategy and the one-year action plan that supported it. Our report on the progress of the actions for 2022-23 was completed, and it is…
Yes. In a previous debate, I said that it was around 200 kilometres per hour. It is a high-speed rail link between Portadown and Derry. It is part of the all-island strategic rail review. It is an ambitious plan that gives connectivity, tackles climate change and promotes public transport. Those projects are medium-…
To tackle regional imbalance from a transport perspective, the Department is preparing a new suite of transport plans that will continue to improve the connectivity and sustainability of the transport system across the region. That will include the ambitious plans outlined in each council's local development plan. My…
Without a doubt, the safety of all our pupils attending schools is paramount. I will put this on the record: drivers need to change their behaviour. Accidents are largely caused by speeding or carelessness. No matter how many measures are put on a road, if someone is going to speed or drive carelessly, they will cause…
The honest answer is that I do not know, but I am more than happy to engage with my officials and report to the Member. Such things are set against criteria on traffic and the number of pedestrians in the area. It is about whether it is even safe to install the pedestrian crossing at a certain section of the road and…
Invest-to-save would be an Executive strategy, and I would welcome it. However, the Executive are not exactly flush with funds either. The absence of Ministers over the last couple of years has not helped matters. Officials have had to work within a stringent budget. I have more flexibility in how I deal with my…
You might need a metre ruler in some places, unfortunately. We are carrying out emergency repairs. That is the service that we can deliver because of the financial situation that we are in. I assure you that my officials, the grounds team and those who work on the roads want to do more, but, unfortunately, apart from…
I am not familiar with the stretch of road, but it is clear that our roads have fallen into a state of disrepair. It is not because of unwillingness among my team or staff to repair them; it is down to the simple reality that we are not properly financed in this place. That is recognised across the Chamber. The…
I am more than happy to engage with my officials about that, and I will report to the Member. The £8·1 million that I announced recently is for larger, more significant road resurfacing and maintenance schemes. I will report to the Member when I have a response.
I am happy to engage in writing with the Member about that and even to respond to her young constituents. However, as I say, the scheme is under review. We are trying to establish how effective it has been and whether it changes driver behaviour.
The locations are being reviewed to see how effective they have been and whether they are having any impact on driver behaviour. Before we came back here, I used to drop my child off at school, and I was alarmed at the speed at which some drivers thought it appropriate to drive past a very busy school, whether in the…
There is another side to that argument. A car parked for several hours in a town centre may be taking up the parking space of somebody who is prepared to stop, go into a shop and purchase goods or services. There is certainly a number of elements that you have to look at when you are deciding on a car parking charge…