John O'Dowd
Upper Bann · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“As I set out in response to the previous question, we have in place the vacant property rate relief scheme and the small business rate relief scheme, which are very successful. I set aside £10 million in the draft Budget for small business rate relief to be invested.”
“I am particularly keen to hear from those impacted by vacant commercial units and especially about how any phased increase can be implemented in a sustainable way that is fair, proportionate and sustainable within the tax system.”
“I outlined my intent to take that approach in my statement on 18 November, alongside the fact that reform of rating policy should support growth, make better use of property and ensure that the system is fair, proportionate and aligned with wider economic objectives.”
“The accelerator will operate alongside our highly successful Back in Business scheme, which has helped to bring over 100 vacant high street properties back into use since May 2024. Those issues have been the subject of considerable interest and comment in the Assembly, and it is right that we grasp the nettle now.”
“There are no circumstances in which a hard border would be good for the people of Ireland; it would not be good for anyone. Those who suggest that are being naive at best and dangerous at worst, in the sense of not understanding this society. <BR /> <BR />Rural communities along the border are one and the same.”
“This announcement represents the next step in that. That said, I also put on record my intention to strengthen support for small businesses. In that vein, £10 million has been set aside in the draft Budget to broaden the impact of the small business rate relief scheme in order to increase the number of businesses that can benefit from it.…”
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“I fully accept the Member's point. We operate a number of systems. We have our own operatives, who work for DFI, and we have a number of private contractors that carry out work for the Department. Both should always strive to ensure that we maintain our areas to the highest standard. <BR /> <BR />I accept that grass is much more difficult to maintain when it is cut only once a season and is longer. There will have to be a capital investment in my Department and by some of the contractors as we move forward with the scheme. We want to ensure that we lift the grass as well as cut it. Lifting the grass removes the nutrients from the soil, and wildflowers grow better in soil with fewer nutrients. We will have to make those investments during my period in office.”
“I encourage the Member to contact — I am sure that he has — his divisional office first. However, if he wishes to write to me directly, I am more than happy to engage with the divisional offices about any areas that he has significant concern about. <BR /> <BR />The message is quite clear: the policy cannot compromise road safety. Sight lines etc must be maintained. I accept that my colleagues across the North are operating under huge financial strain and that there are staffing issues. I am sure that they are doing their best to ensure that sight lines and safety are the number-one priority, but I am happy to follow up on any individual cases that the Member has.”
“My Department continues to work with councils. I encourage others to adopt an approach to the maintenance of grass areas that is similar to the one that I introduced last year.”
“However, it is not designed to be a cost-saving measure. The changes that I have made are for environmental reasons, rather than to cut costs. Given the size of the network, recent inflationary pressures and the safety requirements, there will not be any significant savings. Regardless, my Department works with other agencies and public-sector bodies. It has a memorandum of understanding with Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council to pilot biodiversity on a number of road verges in the area. The aim is to lower the fertility of the soil and adopt a cut-and-collect approach to grass cutting to allow for the establishment of native wildflowers. <BR /> <BR />Other enhanced verge maintenance, including additional grass cutting and landscaping of verges and roundabouts, is undertaken by councils, based on their own local arrangements.”
“With your permission, Mr Deputy Speaker, I will answer questions 1 and 4 together. <BR /> <BR />My Department's approach to verge management has recently changed to increase the focus on environmental benefit without compromising on road safety or our duties to deal with noxious weeds. That change occurred because I recognise the environmental benefits of road verges. Our approach seeks to allow wildflowers and wildlife to thrive. By reducing the areas of verge cut on many roads to a single swathe or, where possible, without compromising on road safety, reducing to a single cut later in the season, it is possible to increase the focus on environmental benefit. <BR /> <BR />Only the areas that can be left uncut without compromising on road safety are left unmown. That approach will deliver benefits in promoting biodiversity.”
“In the interim, my officials will continue to monitor traffic and road safety issues in the village. <BR /> <BR />I thank Robbie for bringing the Adjournment debate to the House, as well as all those who have contributed to the debate today. I assure Members that I will continue to work with them and the local community in Lagan Valley to carry out whatever measures we can within the limited resources and finances that are available to my Department to improve road safety and the lifestyle of the people who live in the villages of Lagan Valley.”
“In addition, my officials are currently considering how the road layout can be improved at the junction of Meeting Street and Main Street in the village. <BR /> <BR />The future transport needs of Moira village will be considered as part of the eastern transport plan that is being developed by my Department. The plan will take into account the growth and ambitions of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council and other councils in the catchment area, as was mentioned earlier. We have to work with a plan in mind, rather than simply adding on and adding on without one. The plan will be advanced in conjunction with the local development plans of the five councils, including Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, and will be subject to full public consultation. Further information about that can be found on my Department's website.”
“I note that there have been 15 reportable collisions in Moira in the past three years, five of which resulted in death or serious injury. That is an extremely worrying statistic, and, as all Members know, behind every statistic is a person and a family. My Department's focus in recent years has been on mitigating the effects of through traffic on the village and improving road safety. My officials commissioned consultants to consider options to improve traffic flow in Moira, especially during the morning and evening peak times. As a result, they carried out the signalisation of the Main Street/Meeting Street junction and road marking schemes to provide right-turn pockets into local retail sites and a garage outlet between the Backwood Road and Old Kilmore Road junction.”
“In developing the scheme, my officials have worked, and will continue to work, with the council to provide enhanced pedestrian facilities in the village. In a meeting with officials last November, representatives from the local village and district committee requested the provision of controlled crossings at three locations in the village: on Main Street, at the Plough Inn and at the local primary school. I am pleased to report that my officials have recently carried out pedestrian crossing surveys and are now considering their findings to ascertain the most appropriate locations for enhanced pedestrian facilities in the village. <BR /> <BR />I am also aware of the long-standing concerns of Moira residents about traffic congestion and road safety in the village.”
“I am pleased to inform Members that the alternative routes study was carried out earlier in June, and I expect the outcome of the assessment to be with my officials by autumn of this year. I will report to Members on its findings. <BR /> <BR />As I mentioned earlier, road safety is one of my highest priorities. In the past three years, I am aware that there have been two road traffic collisions in Hillsborough that have resulted in serious injuries to pedestrians, while an elderly lady was injured by a HGV in October of last year. I therefore fully appreciate the importance of having safe pedestrian crossing facilities in the village. I understand that Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council is advancing a proposal for a public realm scheme in the village.”
“I understand that, in the past few years, there have been a number of proposals to implement a weight limit in the village in order to reduce the volume of HGV traffic. The most recent suggestion proposed a weight limit for the whole village, including Carnreagh Road and part of Carnreagh. Such a proposal would require HGVs to divert on to other local roads around the village. To understand fully the impact of that proposal, my officials have commissioned an assessment of suitability of the possible alternative routes for HGV traffic. That work will help inform the relative merits of the weight limit proposals, in particular the impacts on road safety in the village and on the surrounding road networks.”
“To help address those issues, my Department is developing a transport strategy and a suite of transport plans that will establish a framework for making transport policy and investment decisions up to 2035. The plans will aim to drive improvements to our transport network and to favour sustainable modes of transport such as active travel. In developing the transport plans, we will consider how transport can support safe, inclusive and connected towns and villages, including those in Lagan Valley. <BR /> <BR />I am very aware of, and sympathetic to, the long-standing desire of Royal Hillsborough residents to reduce the volume of HGV traffic going through the village, primarily with a view to improving road safety but also to reduce the impact that such vehicles have on the local environment in Hillsborough.”
“As road users, we all have a personal responsibility to behave in a way that keeps us and others safe. The sad reality is that, if we do not change our attitudes when using the roads, our death toll will continue to rise. <BR /> <BR />Historically, our transport network has been designed for the private car. There is, however, global acceptance that that approach is no longer sustainable and that more sustainable modes of transport should be promoted. Our transport system is a key enabler and is critical for most aspects of our lives. I am very aware of the impact that excess traffic congestion can have on residents, particularly its impact on accessibility, air quality and noise.”
“That is the highest figure in the past eight years, and it is significantly higher than in 2022, when 55 people lost their lives. I am also aware of the number of serious road traffic collisions that have occurred across Lagan Valley in recent years. At the forefront of our minds is, as Members have mentioned, the tragic death of an infant in Moira in 2023. I know the family, and I know the devastating consequences that the loss has had on them. Every life lost is a tragedy for those involved, and that is why road safety is one of my highest priorities as Minister for Infrastructure. One of the best ways in which to ensure safety on our roads and to fulfil the long-term goal of eliminating death and serious injury by 2050 is to change the behaviour of road users.”
“As Members have said, our towns and villages should be pleasant and, more importantly, safe places in which to live and work. <BR /> <BR />I will now turn to road safety. A consequence of high traffic volumes in our towns and villages that concerns me most is the impact on road safety, which is an issue that affects all of us in our everyday lives. Although we have a personal responsibility to travel in a way that keeps us safe, we must also appreciate our shared responsibility to other road users. My Department's role in contributing to that responsibility is very important to me. <BR /> <BR />Unfortunately, road safety statistics have been following a very worrying trend. Last year, 71 people died on our roads.”
“While Lagan Valley benefits from those transport connections, which offer accessibility across the North, its proximity to the Belfast metropolitan area also means that many people travel through Lagan Valley and use it as a gateway to Belfast. I am aware that that creates challenges, with a high volume of traffic in villages that are close to key junctions with the A1 and M1, most notably at Royal Hillsborough and Moira. While much of the traffic in those areas is locally generated, a significant proportion of the traffic that passes through the villages does so to access the A1 and M1 routes. I am acutely aware that excessive traffic volumes can adversely affect residents' enjoyment of their areas, and I fully acknowledge the frustration of commuters and the local community who are impacted by it.”
“I thank Mr Butler for securing this important debate on traffic issues that affect villages in the Lagan Valley constituency. I thank other Members for their contributions. <BR /> <BR />The two key transport corridors across the area — the M1 and the A1 — connect Lagan Valley to the regional strategic transport network, which provides long-distance connections to our cities, main towns and major gateways. The Belfast to Dublin railway line also intersects Lagan Valley, offering access to not only Belfast and Dublin but locations such as Newry, Lisburn, Bangor and Derry. The routes are strategically important to the economy of our island, to businesses and to residents. Although those roads bring economic benefits, their popularity contributes to some of the traffic issues outlined by Members in the debate.”
“In fairness, I came into office on 3 February and made the announcement in early April. It was not too bad.”
“Since we introduced temporary exemption certificates for five- and seven-year-old vehicles, there has been a significant improvement. My mailbox correspondence on MOTs has certainly reduced — I do not know about that of other Members — suggesting that we have seen an improvement since those measures were introduced.”
“To those who submit planning applications, I say this: get it right in the first instance, and then challenge the council, the statutory consultee or my Department if we do not get it right.”
“All of them. As the Member will be aware, planning is two-tier. Councils look after the vast majority of planning applications, and there is significant variation in councils' return rate and standards. Some councils perform well in returning an application well within the set period; others do not. My Department faces challenges in that regard too. As I have said, one way of improving my Department's timescales for the return of planning applications in one simple stroke would be this: every time we receive a planning application that is not complete, we hand it back. My performance rates would go through the roof overnight. We spend too much time going back and forth, saying, "We need this", "You did not complete that", and, "Could you please clarify that?". In this day and age, that should not happen.”
“The most important step that we will take is implementing the validation checklist, learning from the best-practice example of Belfast City Council, which, for an application to be submitted, requires a completed validation checklist to ensure that the application contains all the materials that are required.”
“Only yesterday, I met the Economy Minister on the planning process, specifically in regard to green energy. The subject that I have discussed most since coming back into post is planning. On that matter, I have met a wide range of stakeholders; I have engaged with my officials; I have met people involved in planning improvement; and I have met the commission that I formed to improve planning. We are beginning to see the green shoots of improvement. <BR /> <BR />I keep coming back to one conclusion in every discussion that I have had about planning: unless the planning application that is submitted is complete, providing all the information and environmental statements etc that are required, you will face delay. It is like any other process: if you do not get the first step right, the rest of it will not work out for you.”
“I am not trying to put my Executive colleagues under the spotlight. What I am trying to do is bring collective thinking to community transport. Community transport provides services to shops, but it also provides services to the GP, the hospital, the dentist and the community, thereby breaking down isolation. There is common cause among several other Ministers and me in that regard. When I look at the costs that some of my Executive colleagues face in providing transport, particularly for patients in the health service, I see that community transport could play a vital role in providing a cost-effective alternative.”
“My budget will be announced later. I have done everything in my power to protect community transport's funding at last year's levels, including the restoration of some funding that it lost last year. Community transport, as the Member will know from her rural constituency, provides a vital service to many in the rural community. I also hope to meet Minister Muir, Minister Nesbitt and the Minister for Communities to discuss how community transport engages with and delivers services to their Departments and how they, in turn, can help to support community transport. We need a long-term sustainable plan for community transport, both for those who use the service and those who manage and work in it.”
“They are part of NI Water's future infrastructure investment plans. I will do my best to support NI Water in delivering those, because, as the Member said, they are an aid in tackling sewage and rainwater overflows into our watercourses.”
“On the investment backlog, until this year, NI Water was fully funded in accordance with the price control period — fully funded. Until 2024-25, NI Water's investment plans have been fully funded. As a result of the Budget and 10 or 11 years of austerity under Tory rule, it will not be possible to fully fund NI Water for 2024-25 in accordance with the price control period. I am looking towards 2025-26. My officials and I are engaging with NI Water. I also met the Utility Regulator to see how we can move forward to protect our waste water treatment infrastructure and our environment.”
“The ambition is for the Glider route to proceed to Carryduff. I cannot give you a time frame, but, yes, the ambition is for the Glider service to go out as far as Carryduff.”
“I am working with my officials to see how we can progress the next steps of delivering the decision that I made a number of years ago on the Antrim route and to move it out further than south Belfast and beyond that again. Again, we face financial challenges, but we can make progress on the first part of my decision in this term. I also want to make sure that I lay firm foundations to progress the Glider service so that it serves as many people as possible, because it has been proven to be a very effective and efficient means of delivering of public transport, and it has taken significant numbers of private vehicles off the roads.”
“If you do not have the capacity to invest in your public services, there will be an impact. That is just reality, but I will say this: each application must be judged on its merits. NI Water will have to make decisions on whether it can provide the waste water treatment services that a new development requires. If it cannot, can it work in conjunction with the developer to provide the services that are required, or can the developer provide those services on its own? We will have to do things differently moving forward. The other choice is to do nothing, and I do not think that that is a choice. Let us do things differently and find solutions to the problems that we face.”
“However, I do not intend to bury my head in the sand and say, "It is all terrible. It is all awful. We cannot do anything". My attitude to the current financial crisis is that we should work together, work with the Finance Minister, work collectively around the Executive table and seek solutions.”
“I have had no specific conversations with NI Water about the Member's constituency, but I have had conversations with NI Water about how it faces the challenges of a budget that does not meet its immediate needs. We all accept that NI Water and other public bodies need more finance, but this is one of the areas where we will have to give leadership rather than say, "It is all terrible. There is nothing that we can do". I am confident that NI Water will do everything that is in its power to continue to deliver front-line services and to try to advance our waste water treatment works across all constituencies in a very restricted budgetary period. I will work with it in doing that. I will also work with my Executive colleagues to secure more funding for NI Water, Translink and, indeed, my Department.”
“The Member should never look back in anger. This is 2024. I am now the Minister for Infrastructure, and I have to make decisions that are based on the reality that is in front of me now. The Member asked what had changed since 2016. COVID, the economy, available jobs: all those things have changed, right? So, how do we support our taxi industry? How does our legislature support our taxi industry? I am open to engaging with the taxi industry. In fact, rather than having a constant conversation about reviewing the legislation and about what one of my colleagues committed to eight years ago, I am writing to the Department for Transport in England to ask it not to proceed with the VAT increases on taxi fares and taxi operators, because that will have the most devastating impact on taxi operators.”
“I am committed to working alongside the taxi industry and taxi drivers to do what I can, but if I am going to do something, I want to make sure that it will be an effective response to their needs.”
“Taxi legislation and the challenges that face our taxi industry have been raised with me many times. My view is that the main challenge that faces our taxi industry is not the current taxi legislation but the different economic factors that have come into play as people's habits have changed since COVID, their spending limits have been reduced as a result of the cost-of-living crisis and different employment opportunities have arisen for those who normally drive taxis. There is a range of issues. To date, I have not committed to reviewing taxi legislation, as resources and personnel in my Department will not allow me to do so. I have to prioritise other matters.”
“The aim is to cut road deaths substantially, in line with ambitions and targets in other European states and across these islands.”
“My officials are working alongside those in other Departments and from the emergency services to ensure that we have a single, agreed and collaborative approach to road safety. Once the outworkings of the Budget are known, officials will work with road safety partners to agree a forward action plan covering engineering, enforcement and education. <BR /> <BR />As I have said, we can all play our part in road safety and potentially in saving a life by thinking about how we act when we are travelling from A to B using roads or footpaths. We all need to wise up and take personal responsibility for behaving in a way that keeps us and others safe on our roads.”
“It is a matter of deep regret that we continue to see so many lives lost on our roads. We must remember that each life lost is not merely a statistic but a family member, a parent, a child or a friend. Those deaths cause so much pain to families and tear communities apart. This month, I intend to bring a revised road safety strategy to the Executive for their agreement. A digital advertising campaign is nearing completion, and, last week, the British Heart Foundation became the latest organisation to partner with us by pledging to Share the Road to Zero. <BR /> <BR />The road safety strategy is an important document for refocusing minds and energy on creating safe roads, safe vehicles and safe people. However, it is only the collective efforts of us all that will truly make a difference.”
“I have had discussions with the PSNI, and the road safety partnership continues to play its part as well. <BR /> <BR />The best way to improve road safety in general is for all of us, as road users, to change our habits. Whether you are a driver, cyclist, motorcyclist or pedestrian, the action that we take on the roads decides whether we and the people we share the road with arrive home safely. <BR /> <BR />I accept that there is also a responsibility on my Department that, where measures need to be taken on engineering solutions to road safety, they should be. I continue to examine options to see whether I can identify further investment for the road and what the best use of that investment would be on further safety measures on the A5.”
“Again, I am finalising my capital budget allocation and will make announcements later. I am committed to delivering on the A1 junction phase 2 improvements. That is another extremely busy road that has seen far too many casualties and accidents. Those road safety improvements need to be carried out. I hope to be in a position to make further announcements about that matter shortly.”
“I am acutely conscious of the deaths on the A5, and I am acutely conscious of the deaths on the A5 since I came back into post. Throughout my time in the Department, I have prioritised engagement on the Planning Appeals Commission's report. As I said in my opening remarks, the process is highly technical, highly legal and highly complex. I am also required to carry out significant scientific data collection. The nature of that data collection means that it has taken several months. That data collection is now complete and is with a laboratory in England that will report to me in due course. When I have all the evidence, information and answers in front of me, I will be in a position to make an announcement.”
“When I make my announcement, I will do so in accordance with all relevant statutory procedures and on the basis of all evidence, representation and advice that I have received from officials, statutory agencies North and South, members of the public and all other bodies that have participated in the process to date. My announcement will be accompanied by a statement of the reasons for the decision. That will take the form of a departmental statement, which will include a detailed response to the PAC advisory report and publication of the PAC report itself at the same time.”
“The A5 western transport corridor is a critically important infrastructure and flagship project for the Executive. The Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) issued its final advisory report from the latest public inquiry process in 2020 and 2023 to the Department on 31 October 2023. That report included 30 advisory recommendations, many of which are detailed and require legal and professional review, advice and input. That complex process is now close to completion. <BR /> <BR />I will be in a position to make an announcement in respect of the scheme when I have reviewed all of the relevant information in relation to the project.”
“I am working through my capital budgets, and, once I have done that, I will further engage with my officials responsible for major road improvements. I am keen to deliver the Ballynahinch scheme. It is a worthwhile project and will bring huge benefits not only to the town of Ballynahinch but further afield. It is a case of matching budgets with the opportunity at the time, but it is certainly, in my mind, an active scheme that I wish to progress during my tenure in this post.”
“My officials are aware of the condition of the B7 road at Crossgar, and any need for resurfacing will be prioritised against other roads in the division and programmed on the basis of available funding. The division programmes are currently being prepared and will be published in due course. In the meantime, my officials will continue to inspect and repair defects that meet the current limited services intervention level to protect public safety.”
“I will consider proposals for improvements to the A7 as part of that process. The transport plan is still in development, but, once I <BR />have identified my preferred options and priorities, a draft document setting those out will be issued for public consultation, giving everyone an opportunity to have their views heard.”
“The A7 from Belfast to Downpatrick forms part of the strategic road network and is classed as a link corridor. The A7 Rowallane to Doran's Rock scheme proposes to widen approximately 1,500 metres of existing carriageway to improve the forward visibility, with a wide verge on one side and a footpath on the other. The scheme was at an advanced stage of development several years ago, with the design work and an environmental assessment for the scheme being substantially complete. However, the scheme, regrettably, was not taken forward due to other priorities at that time. <BR /> <BR />My Department is currently developing proposals for a new regional strategic transport network transport plan, which will set out the priorities for future development of the main road and rail networks.”
“Despite our best efforts, some flood alleviation schemes take several years to deliver, and some of them can be very complex. You have to match opportunity with budget. I am looking at other ways of supporting homeowners and businesses to protect their homes and properties from floods.”
“I am finalising my current capital budget and will publish it later. It will indicate the funding for flood prevention schemes. Work is ongoing, although I do not have the exact figures in front of me for that investment. We are investing in flood defence schemes across the piece, and some are at a more advanced stage than others. Of course, I would like more finances and a bigger budget to carry out those schemes, but I have to deal with the budget that I have and use it to its maximum, and I will do that. <BR /> <BR />I am looking at the home flood defence scheme. Currently, under that scheme, if your area is scheduled for a flood alleviation scheme or major works, you may not be entitled to the home flood defence scheme. I am looking at that to see whether we can be more flexible with that.”
“Perhaps I misled the Member or spoke incorrectly. It is intended that the formal report will be compiled by the end of June 2024. The findings of that report will be available to us. We have not been standing still: my Department and my officials are still examining how we can support communities across the North that have been impacted by flooding. We want to learn lessons very quickly. I assure the Member that, when the report becomes available to me, I and my departmental colleagues will act quickly to bring forward the report's recommendations as soon as possible.”