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Having had similar issues in my constituency, I know how important that is, particularly as we move into autumn. We have seen how heavy the rain has been over the past few days. It is anticipated that the feasibility study for the scheme will be completed by summer 2026. If you write to the Department, I will be happy…
I thank the Minister for that. I assure her that I would welcome such a conversation, having previously raised, on a number of occasions, flooding in Antrim town and the flood risk on all stretches of the Sixmilewater river, for example, which affects residential properties and, indeed, commercial properties. Is the…
As the Member knows, I am taking legislation on flood management through the House. Maybe we can have a discussion as part of that process. At present, as the Member knows, we have a scheme in place for homeowners. I am happy to have a conversation to see whether one for commercial properties is something that we can…
If the Member can point to the mess, I will happily look into it. The judge's comments were very clear. He recognised that every effort had been made to get the scheme delivered. It is an issue that we have to look at, and that is why I am going through the appeal process. I am telling the Member now that I am…
Minister, you are the responsible for delivering the project. With respect, you have not answered the question. Families do not want more excuses; they want accountability. Who is responsible for the failure? When will you finally guarantee delivery of the A5, without further mess-ups from you and your Department?
I am not too sure what role your Minister played, but I will not get into that. The priority for me is to deliver the scheme. Let us work together. Let us work collaboratively and get it over the line. That is what I am determined to do.
Let me be clear: the A5 has been an issue for many years, as the Member rightly pointed out. I will not say that that is because of the incompetence of officials, because I know that they have been working extremely hard. Many of them live in or are from the area and are passionate about the scheme. The Member's…
I fully recognise the importance of the road network and the vital role that it plays in connecting our people and communities as well as in supporting the wider economy. As I have said, my Department has operated within a constrained maintenance budget for many years. That has resulted in underinvestment in our…
I do not have that figure to hand. I can give an idea of the overall cost, and, if the Member wishes to write to me, I will be able to provide a more up-to-date figure for the costs incurred so far. There is already a shortfall of approximately £22 million funding for the scheme overall, and a lot of work is still to…
A total of 214 responses to the consultation were received, which shows the depth of feeling in the area and that people want to be a part of the process. That consultation was held between 21 January and 4 March 2025. Of those representations, 154 were objections, 55% of which cited the inclusion of the fixed bridge…
Minister, you have set out your position on this and the depth of feeling in the area. How many representations were received and what was the nature of those representations?
My position on the road is absolutely on the record, and I will never move from that position. As a Minister, I have to consider all the responses to the consultation and be impartial. My officials are working through that. The voices of everyone who has made a representation will be heard and the issues that they…
I thank the Minister for her answer. Minister, it is reassuring that you are on the record as saying that there should be a lifting bridge to accommodate tall ships coming into the Albert Basin in Newry. On the consultation, will you confirm and reassure residents from around the Flagstaff Road, Barracric and…
The public consultation exercise for the Newry southern relief road concluded on 4 March 2025. I have received a comprehensive report from my officials covering the many detailed representations that were received as part of the process and am giving careful consideration to its contents. My Department’s major project…
As the Member will be aware, we are in the process of appealing the ruling on the A5. At present, that is my focus and that of my officials. As I said, however, all improvements to existing road safety infrastructure remain under review. We will continue to do that, but I do not have a figure for any of that at this…
Can the Minister inform the House how much of this money, if any, will be spent on implementing fresh road safety measures on the A5 to prevent further loss of life?
Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. She has probably answered the supplementary question that I was going to ask, but I thank her for taking up the issue of the Crumlin Road crossing. To add to what Brian Kingston said, it is a very fast road. There is a huge retail park there now, and lots of people have to cross to it…
As I have said in previous answers, road safety is a priority for me, which is why I have increased the road safety advertising budget by over £1·5 million to £2·4 million. With that, I will reinstate a programme of campaigns addressing the main causes of road traffic collisions. I have prioritised the reinstatement…
I share the Mineral Products Association's concerns, and I have outlined that clearly. The reality is that the budget is nowhere near enough for me to do everything that needs to be done. In fact, as I communicated to the representatives when I met them, the reason that my budget took so long to agree is that I was…
Minister, how have you responded to concerns that were tabled by the Mineral Products Association's highway maintenance and construction group in a series of meetings with you in June this year on the 2025-26 road maintenance budget, which, potentially, will put 500 jobs at risk and leave roads in the North in an even…
Absolutely. If road surfaces, footpaths or any types of infrastructure pose a risk to the health and safety of anyone in our community, they need to be looked at. If the Member writes to me, we can ensure that a site visit is arranged.
I thank the Minister for her answer. She will be aware that I would like to see more money go to North Down for road maintenance and footpath repairs. My office has done a lot of work in that area. Over the summer, I certainly saw examples of pavements that are, frankly, dangerous for the elderly in areas where lots…
Allocations for road maintenance activities are made to my Department’s four Roads divisions on the basis of need, using a range of weighted indicators tailored to the particular repair or improvement intervention. In distributing the resources available for structural maintenance activities, such as resurfacing and…