Analysis in progress: 97,637 of 97,960 records assessed (99.7%). Totals and rankings will change until it finishes. Progress details
Ms Liz Kimmins: Assembly records
All of Ms Liz Kimmins’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
I will do my best to answer them. I have experience of flooding in my area, and I know how devastating it is. That is not to underestimate in any way the flooding in the Riverside area. I know that it is horrendous. The anxiety that comes in the aftermath is worse, because people anticipate the potential for flooding…
As the Member will know, that issue was brought to my attention while I was on-site two weeks ago. While planning is the responsibility of the council, my Department is a statutory consultee as part of the process and looks at every application on its merit. That information is extremely important. As we look at…
With your permission a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle , I will answer questions 3 and 14 together. My Department’s Rivers directorate continues to progress a feasibility study to assess the river flood risk to properties in the Antrim area of potential significant flood risk. That work will identify whether there are…
As you know, I have said that it has been approved. I can write to the Member on where progress is. You know that we are moving into a new financial year and are continually looking at the list to see where the priorities are. I do not have the information to hand, but I am happy to come back to you in writing.
The Member will know that I have been able to reinstate the road safety advertising budget. This year, I approved an allocation of almost £2 million for road safety promotion for this financial year, which represents an increase of over £1·5 million. In addition to that, my Department's Road Safety Partnership has…
The difficulty for us has been that the SIDs are not traffic signs, because they just tell the driver what is already on their speedometer. For me, it is a reminder to be more mindful of your speed. I have seen them in my area, and I recognise that they bring road safety benefits. It is about trying to change driver…
Road safety is a high priority for my Department, and I am committed to working proactively to make our roads safer and to address the needs of all road users. I recognise that speed indicator devices (SIDs) offer some road safety benefits and are normally provided by groups such as local policing and community safety…
The councils made some changes over the Christmas period, and there was a bit of confusion. That can be hard to manage, because we are trying to get our message across about the areas that are specific to my Department, while the councils are trying to get their message out. We want it to benefit as many people as…
The issue comes up time and time again. We have probably all had tickets or letters from some of those companies. I appreciate the anxiety and stress that that causes. A lot of older people come to my office with concerns about that. Those are private companies that do not fall under my Department's remit, but I am…
As the Member will know, I have been talking about that for some time, and we have been trying to work out the best way possible to introduce, particularly over the festive period, something that would enhance opportunities for people when they are in town centres. As my constituency is included, I was very aware of…
As the Member will be aware, Newry, Lisburn and Belfast are the only areas where any form of charging for on-street parking exists. Other areas do not charge for parking but have limited waiting restrictions in place, limiting parking to one hour within a two-hour period. Controlled parking zones were put in place to…
Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I thank Ms Armstrong for instigating this important debate. The impact of storms on the A20 is an important concern for Members across the Chamber. I have listened intently to the comments and issues that have been raised. When it comes to what you and your constituents…
I have mentioned today lots of things that we are working towards. My key message is that I am being proactive in getting additional investment from Executive colleagues. I will use that investment to deal with such issues in the immediate and short term. I am also working in my Department to find ways in which to…
My Department provides some of the most essential infrastructure services to our society. Through the additional funding provided to my Department in December monitoring and the delivery of my commitment to do all I can to make our roads better, I have been able to reprioritise funding in my Department. That…
I send my congratulations to Jonesborough Primary School, in my constituency of Newry and Armagh, which has celebrated its 180th birthday over the past year. The school was founded during the great hunger here in Ireland in 1845. The building that the children attend today is the same building that was established…
Go raibh maith agat, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I thank Cara Hunter for initiating this important debate on roads infrastructure in East Derry, particularly in Ballykelly and Kilrea. I know that it is an important issue for all the representatives of those areas who have spoken in the debate and, indeed, for elected…
As with any piece of legislation that requires enforcement, our officials are always in contact with the PSNI. This may have been spoken about through the road safety partnership. We are all committed to working together to find ways of making our roads safer. As I have said, how the information will be fed out to the…
It is regrettable that it has taken that long. However, I do not want to underestimate the time that it took to do the work that was involved in making the changes. The Assembly has been up for a significant part of that time, but, as I mentioned, COVID and other things unfortunately had to take priority during that…
Yes, absolutely. As I said, the introduction date for the GDL is 1 October this year, with the new test being introduced six months later on 1 April 2027, which will accommodate the mandatory minimum learning period of six months for new provisional licence holders. In advance of the introduction of the GDL, the…
Yes, absolutely. The fundamental objective of graduated driver licensing is to protect lives, and we need to bring people with us. Therefore, we have to help people, particularly young people, understand what the measures are and why they are in place. You cannot replace a life. Ensuring that young and new drivers are…
The Member will not be surprised to hear that I do not agree with those statements, which are highly political. I have outlined exactly how the decision came to pass. The decision was taken by the Assembly prior to my time in the post. It has been legislated for, and the timeline has been explicitly outlined for…
The introduction of GDL has been a long journey and has been subject to two public consultations during that time. As I have stated previously, it was first introduced in 2016 when it was legislated for in the Assembly. The development of the legislative framework for GDL was the subject of extensive consultation…
Absolutely not. I appeared before the Infrastructure Committee on 25 June last year. I appreciate that that was before the Member's time as Chair. At that time, I set out my priorities and legislative programme and informed the Committee that I was introducing graduated driving licences and that that would require…
The introduction of graduated driver licensing was debated and agreed by the Assembly as part of the passage of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill in 2016. The Bill received Royal Assent in May 2016 and became the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act (NI) 2016. There has been no departure in policy direction since the Act…