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I think that the Member for Lagan Valley will agree that the train line in question goes beyond Portadown and travels to such places as Newry, Dundalk, Drogheda and Dublin. Minister, a same-day return fare from Newry to Belfast is 68% more expensive than it is from Dundalk to Belfast. Will the Minister explain why…
I saw some social media activity on that matter. I apologise to those who were left behind and did not get the service that they should have been getting. I will raise the matter directly with Translink to see what lessons can be learned. Our message, correctly, is that we want to attract more people to use public…
Minister, are you prepared to give an apology to the passengers who were unable to get trains on Friday evening due to the volume of traffic, at both the Northern Ireland international football match and the Belfast Christmas market at the City Hall? Will you issue an apology on behalf of Translink to those commuters,…
As part of the all-island rail review, there is a feasibility study on how we can have better connectivity with Belfast City Airport to encourage more and more people to use public transport and ensure that it is safely accessible. That work is ongoing.
Staying on the same railway line, is there any update on the provision of a safer railway stop at George Best Belfast City Airport to resolve the situation where passengers are often faced with a long and dangerous walk along the Sydenham bypass?
It has thus far, despite the teething problems that I outlined to Mr Butler, proved successful. It will encourage more and more people to use public transport, locally and in the border corridor. There are some operational issues, outside my jurisdiction and outside our control, in the Dublin area, with increased…
The timetabling of trains etc is an operational matter for Translink. However, such matters should be kept under review, because we are, thankfully, seeing an increase in the number of passengers using public services. As with any new operation, there will be teething problems, as I outlined in my initial response. I…
I thank the Minister for his response to that question. I also thank him for his written responses to the queries that have been raised with me by constituents who cite service-reliability issues, safety-and-capacity issues, economic impacts and environmental concerns. People are finding themselves late for work and…
The Member will be aware that rail services commenced from the new Belfast Grand Central station on 13 October 2024. Translink has confirmed that, despite rigorous testing and training in the run-up to the opening, a small number of technical issues emerged in the first few days of operation. Those were limited to…
I thank the Member for her question. Engagement with the FCA does not fall under my remit. It may fall under that of the Department for the Economy or, indeed, the Department of Finance. With the flood maps, we now have a detailed analysis of where flooding is likely to occur. I accept that it may cause challenges for…
My question is related to flooding, but I have a different way of asking about it. A number of constituents have come to me in relation to the flood maps that are being updated and their home insurance. What conversations is the Minister having about the high cost of home insurance for homeowners in flood areas that…
I am aware that NI Water and Uisce Éireann have been working jointly in that regard and that they have submitted a bid to the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) to have funding allocated to that project. I am optimistic that that funding bid will be successful. However, a formal announcement on it cannot take place…
I welcome the Minister's assurances in particular around the Boho area. In relation to the Fermanagh lakelands — please, I hope that the Minister will answer this question — can he provide an update on the upgrades to the Belleek and Garrison waste water treatment plants?
I do not have the exact figures for budget allocation in front of me. As with all areas of public services, the budgets are under constraint, even in relation to flooding response. However, it has to be said that, despite those constraints, if we look at the flooding incidents last year, we see that my Department…
My Department is the lead Department for the strategic coordination of the emergency response to significant flooding, and my officials have worked with partner organisations to develop a multi-agency severe weather plan for emergencies that occur anywhere across the North. That plan details the pre-planned…
In my opinion, it makes for more coherent policy direction for our airports. DFE already has the significant proportion of those airport responsibilities. The small matters that I look after, such as management of land adjacent to airports and noise control, fit better with DFE and allow a single point of contact for…
Every year, we pay for reduced air passenger duty. Will the Minister provide an assessment of how imminent long-haul flights from Belfast might be and what DFI is doing to assist in that?
The York Aviation report calls for the development of an airport policy, and I welcome the fact that this is now in development. Our airports play an important role for our economy by providing the vital connectivity that we, as an island, rely on. Primary responsibility for the development of the policy lies with the…