Every imported question, contribution and motion, with its classification. Unflagged, uncertain and not-yet-analysed records are all included so the analysis can be checked independently.
As I stated in my previous answer, the Department acknowledged the ombudsman's findings about the road. As the Member said, the ombudsman concluded that the failure to complete the road arose from the way in which development was allowed to proceed without the necessary planning controls or conditions having been put…
The infrastructure in Larne West is shambolic and fails residents and commuters daily. Minister, you will be aware of an ombudsman's investigation of the missing link road at Ballyloran that reported last February on the back of my office having brought the matter to it. The investigation found maladministration, and…
As I said, at this point, the issue is between the council and the developers. Ultimately, they can resolve it. My Department will continue to engage with the council, but, at this point, we do not have the power to intervene. It is important to make that clear. I have stated that in relation to the Private Streets…
I thank the Minister for that answer. It will not satisfy the people of the area. The completion of the 3 km distributor road was planned to be a key part of the development, linking hundreds of houses to the wider road network, but, due to a planning issue by her Department in the 1990s, it never happened. Will she…
I recognise the Member's interest in the Larne West distributor (south) road and the local concerns about that incomplete section of road. As the Member will likely be aware, the road was identified through the Larne area plan and the earlier Larne West study as infrastructure to be delivered by the developers of the…
Insurance is not within my gift to address. However, the Member will be aware that we have a grant scheme for flood protection measures for homes that have been flooded. The work on flood maps is significant. As I have said previously, it continues to evolve as we deal with the extreme weather that we have seen,…
There is a bit of a flood on the other side of the Chamber. Minister, how does your Department plan to address the growing number of households that are unable to afford flood insurance or cover but are still exposed to flood risk due to delays in updating flood maps?
I have outlined some of the issues that we are working to address. In my response to my colleague, I said that we are looking at the assessment criteria to ensure that we are investing properly and reducing impacts on people. It is also important to say that we cannot build our way out of flooding. It is something…
Minister, the Northern Ireland Audit Office report is very critical of your Department on the topic of flood risk. You have just read out some interventions that your Department has made. The report's most substantial criticism is that your Department cannot show that its activities to build flood risk defences: "are…
Yes. As the Member mentioned, we have experienced the impact of flooding in both of our constituencies. That impact is not just from the damage to property or the effect on business; there is lasting impact on people, physically and emotionally, when their home or their business is flooded. There is always the anxiety…
Minister, you will be aware that flood alleviation schemes are assessed on a cost-benefit ratio which we know can be prohibitive and can prevent schemes from progressing. As we know only too well from flooding in our constituencies, in Newry and Downpatrick, such analysis does not always reflect the wider…
The Member will know that there is joint responsibility for coastal erosion and all of that. Officials have been engaging with those in the local area. I fully recognise that that presents challenges as time goes on. The work that I outlined in my previous answer shows that the picture is ever-changing, and we are…
Thank you, Minister. In my constituency of North Down, the town of Donaghadee is particularly at risk of flooding. Earlier this year, the sea wall crumbled because of the effects of storm Chandra. What will your Department do to ensure better flood defences in the area and build resilience against the inevitable…
I recognise that the Assembly process must complete before I comment in detail. However, it is important to recognise the real and sustained progress that my Department has made in recent years to strengthen flood risk management, including increased investment and continued improvement in the overall condition of…
As the Member knows, the Executive and, in particular, the Finance Minister are negotiating with the British Treasury to get a better deal for this place. It is not simply that the Executive are not agreeing a Budget; the Executive are standing up for people here to ensure that we get a better Budget that will enable…
Minister, given that capital funding is, generally, being decimated, the extent of which may increase as a result of the Executive's not agreeing a Budget, what impact will that have on any final road maintenance strategy, and are any contingencies being put in place to manage that?
The Member will know that, on many occasions, I have highlighted rural needs in terms of road maintenance and our road network. I, too, represent a rural constituency, so I know that there are significant challenges with deterioration and the inability to address it in the way that we would expect. Those are the types…
Large parts of my constituency of Lagan Valley are rural in nature, so I am interested in understanding how the revised strategy will prioritise rural versus urban road maintenance needs.
I really appreciate the opportunity to state the facts on that. It has been extremely disappointing to see senior figures in the UUP and some in the SDLP misleading the public on what the £181 million figure represented. Whether their doing so was deliberate is for them to answer Like every Minister and every…
There appear to have been misrepresentation by Members in the House regarding £181 million that was returned to DOF. Can you clarify the situation, please?
As I said in my previous response, we have taken into consideration the comments and issues that were raised through the consultation process. That is an important part of the process. I have been engaging with officials on the role of utilities and how we improve reinstatements and make sure that they are more…
I thank the Minister for her answer. It is, however, disappointing that MLAs will not get sight of the updated strategy before recess. Given the importance of the issue to our constituents, will the Minister outline how the strategy will address the role of utility companies in degrading road surfaces? I ask that due…
The consultation on my Department's draft road maintenance strategy ran from 2 December 2025 to 30 January this year. First, I thank all of those who engaged with the consultation and provided feedback, which has been very positive and constructive. Officials are in the process of finalising the consultation report…
The primary support comes from the trusts because they tend to be the employer. I was in Ballyclare, in the Member's constituency, during the week of the race riots, and I met an international colleague who runs an advice centre for ethnic health workers. I also went down the street and met a body that delivers…
I cannot confirm that number because I am told that a bit of duplication was involved in the numbers. I am happy to write to the Member with an update on that. It was a significant number. In fact, one is one too many because Encompass is an incredibly expensive system. It just should not happen. Although the…