Debate contribution: Storm Resilience and Infrastructure Preparedness
Debate contribution by Mr Cathal Boylan on .
- MLA
- Mr Cathal Boylan
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 20 October 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Storm Resilience and Infrastructure Preparedness
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5188958
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Each of us knows all too well about the increase in the number of severe weather events, including storms, and the impact that those events have across our communities. Prevention is key, and, while the Department for Infrastructure has been hindered by its budget in the level of day-to-day maintenance that it can provide, I commend the Infrastructure Minister for recognising the importance of such works and backing up her recognition by allocating further funding in order to deliver additional cleaning and maintenance of drainage lines and manholes. The Infrastructure Minister has shown that her Department takes a proactive approach in preparation for storms. In advance of storm Amy, the Department undertook culvert screening maintenance work in a bid to ensure that countless homes were protected from flooding. Preventative actions, such as gully emptying and culvert screening, have also contributed to ensuring that disruption to public transport is minimised. The work of the Department for Infrastructure has shown that it is intent on ensuring that public safety is a priority, as well as on maintaining an efficient transport network during storms, particularly for some of our most valuable workers who rely on public transport to get to and from work. While preparation is key, I commend the workers in the Department for Infrastructure, NI Water and the Loughs Agency and others who go above and beyond in order to ensure that the effects of a storm are dealt with as soon as possible. As my colleague said, recently, during storm Amy, 2,000 sandbags were delivered, and committed staff worked over the weekend to clear the unavoidable debris that that storm left behind. With 1,500 incidents having been recorded across rural and urban areas, it is clear that, with every best effort of the Department and other agencies, getting roads cleared of trees and debris is done as quickly as possible. It is also important to recognise the good work that is done by local community resilience groups in flood-risk areas. I know of the hard work that those groups do to manage the effects of severe weather and storms. As with everything, however, there is always room for improvement and new ways of working. Additional resources would enable the Department for Infrastructure to do more. Legislation that the Minister is progressing will assist with managing water entering the network, and advances in technology could enable new ways of working to be developed. I again commend all who work hard in our communities and in our agencies to plan and prepare for significant weather events and appreciate the huge body of work that is required in the clean-up afterwards.
438 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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