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 thank the Member for raising that. As an MLA and prior to my role as Minister, I lobbied on the issue for a long time after coming to the Assembly in 2020. My child's school has a 60 mph zone outside it. I am acutely aware of just how dangerous that is and of the impact that that can have. It is something that we…
I thank the Member for his question. He asked about the timelines for its being introduced. As I said, I am finalising the draft programme of which schools will be included in the next tranche. I hope to be in a position to make a formal announcement very soon. Following that announcement, formal engagement and…
I am aware that the Department recently received a request for that school to be included in the third tranche programme for 2025-26. As I said, I am considering the draft programme and plan to finalise it in the coming weeks. The proposed programme will have a primary focus on schools on rural roads where a national…
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. Since 2020-21, the Department has delivered two tranches of part-time 20 mph speed limits at 216 schools, which is an investment of £4 million. The Department…
Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I will not need 15 minutes, for many of the reasons that have been mentioned. From the outset, I want to explain my perspective on migration. Like that of my colleagues, it has been shaped by republican values and principles that are embedded in equality, economic…
I thank Tom Buchanan for bringing the Adjournment debate to the House, and I thank all Members for their contributions to what is a critical issue. As others have said, the A5 has been talked about for far too long. I say that because, as has been made clear in this and numerous other debates in the House, too many…
Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I thank Matthew O'Toole and the other Members who have spoken in the debate. Like everybody here, I want to see the matter progress. I hope that most people were listening during Question Time last week when I gave a commitment, in response to a question from the…
Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I thank the proposers of the motion on NI Water's funding and governance and those who tabled the amendments. The issue is well rehearsed. I have lost count of the number of times that we have had these discussions in the three months that I have been in post. That…
Absolutely. As I said, I meet the DVA regularly on a range of issues. I am happy to do that in order to see where things are and how we can improve the system.
I have had a number of meetings with the DVA in recent weeks, but I do not have a specific date for the Member. I have not met it specifically about the processing of driving licences, but, if the Member wants to provide me with more information about local experiences, I can raise the issue with the DVA and try to…
As the Member is aware, my Department is developing the new regional strategic transport network transport plan, which will set out priorities for investment in our road, rail and interurban limited stock bus network, including park-and-ride, through to 2035. I expect a draft of the plan to be ready for public…
Major road schemes are an important part of the work that my Department delivers as we seek to reduce journey times, increase reliability and improve road safety. The A2 Buncrana Road scheme will be considered as part of the north-west transport plan, which will be subject to a public consultation process. Views from…
As I said, we have to ensure that we engage with all the stakeholders that will be impacted on, including the businesses that operate in that area. To ensure that we get it right, it is important that the process conclude. As I said, it will commence in the next few weeks. Hopefully, with all being well, unless there…
I thank the Member for asking that question. It is an issue that has attracted quite a lot of media attention in recent weeks, but a lot of that attention has been based on information that is not factual. The scheme has been delayed not because of cost, as the Member for South Belfast, who has now left the Chamber,…
As I said, road safety is a huge priority for me. The road safety strategy until 2030 reflects our continuing commitment to work in partnership to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads. In 2024-25, my Department spent £0·5 million on road safety advertising to encourage safer behaviour on our…
Road safety is a key priority for the Department. As we have talked about, the number of road deaths is, unfortunately, increasing year-on-year. My officials are already progressing work to introduce a single lower drink-driving offence that is applicable to all drivers. We are also taking forward consultation options…
This is predominantly anecdotal, I suppose, because I have not yet been briefed in detail on the issue since coming into post, but we have heard the positives of it. We saw that it helped with traffic congestion. I have heard that in various discussions since coming into post in February. It is important to look at…
I do not have the update with me, Stewart, but I can come back to you on that. I know that we have also launched the review of the Taxis Act 2008 and that there is lots of work happening around taxis. I am happy to come back to you specifically on where that is. I will hopefully be able to provide the most up-to-date…
Absolutely. It affects my constituency. I use that road every day, and I am sure that the Member does also. Knowing some of the families who have been impacted and have lost loved ones on that road, I think that it is something that we need to ensure. Like on the A5, too many lives have been lost along that stretch of…
I recently met Newbridge Integrated College, which has done a huge amount of work on a campaign for the A1, and I have met other roads campaigners, including Monica Heaney, who have been instrumental in ensuring that the work moves at pace. As it stands, the work will be open to the consultation process, and officials…
With any such work, it is important that we get it right, that we do not leave gaps that could be exploited and that the benefits are seen by the people to whom they are directed. We have to look at all those potentials as part of that process. In expediting any process, I would be concerned, at the same time, to take…
I thank the Member for his question and recognise the significance of the announcement about Magee university. Hopefully, that will be huge for the north-west. To alleviate the issues, as in many other cases, we need to work collaboratively and collectively, not just through the planning process but in our work with…
OK. I will do my best. As you know, my Department has been operating under significant underfunding for many years. Regrettably, structural maintenance funding, which is used to deliver resurfacing projects, has not kept pace with what is needed to keep roads in a reasonable condition, as we have discussed at length…