Nichola Mallon
North Belfast · Social Democratic and Labour Party · Northern Ireland
“I have had the very moving opportunity to meet families who have tragically lost a loved one on that stretch of road. That was an important opportunity for me to hear at first hand their experience and the experiences of the local community as they try to go about their everyday business while living in close proximity to a key transport…”
“I take safety on our rural roads very seriously. My Department continues to be actively committed to improving safety on our roads and to work closely with our road safety partners to deliver a programme of road safety education, engineering and enforcement activities.”
“I thank Mr Muir and all the members of the Infrastructure Committee for very constructive working relationships. At times, those working relationships were tense, but they were always very constructive — I mean that.”
“It was important to me to take forward the motor insurance legislation to try to protect people against a hike of up to £50 in their motor insurance premiums. Members will be aware that I took the decision to freeze any hike in public transport fares.”
“That commenced a consultation process that is open until 6 May. I encourage anyone with an interest in this significant project to make their views known during the consultation period. <BR /> <BR />In advance of the major upgrade, it is important that we do what we can to improve road safety.”
“I have announced my intention to extend the concessionary fares scheme to provide free travel for people with disabilities who currently pay half fare and to new operators who have already indicated or expressed an interest in joining. I am aware that many people with a disability have limited travel options.”
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“If I were able to bring forward infrastructure projects based on the integrity of the Member campaigning for them, those would all be built, I assure you of that, Mr Robinson. Obviously, however, we need to take projects forward within a strategic framework. I assure you that those road projects will be considered as part of the regional strategic transport network transport plan. Even as a relaxed citizen who is no longer in politics, you can, of course, still make your views known through the consultation process, and I, for one, look forward to reading them.”
“I wish Mr Robinson well. In my encounters with him, he has always been an absolute gentleman. He has never played the person. He has always really cared about his constituents and his community, and that constantly shines through.”
“As I said, it is an important document, because it will set out the infrastructure priorities for road, bus and rail up until 2035. Officials have been working with consultant partners to try to bring further detail to that. I am clear that we need to make sure that we get it as right as we can before it goes out to public consultation. Members will have the opportunity to respond and to make their views known when it goes out for public consultation because it is important that we have a genuine consultation process and that, then, the Minister and the Department are able to reflect on the views and, if required, not shy away from making changes to that document.”
“<BR /> <BR />That said, while I am conscious that maritime and shipping is a reserved function of the Department for Transport, and I am calling on the Secretary of State for Transport to take every possible step to save jobs and maintain connectivity for passengers and critical goods on the Irish Sea routes, my Department is working with the Department for the Economy and DAERA to ensure that we are minimising any risks to the supply chains for critical goods. My officials will continue to do what they can, working with colleagues across government.”
“I am shocked and appalled at how P&O workers have been treated, as was everybody. Who thinks that it is acceptable to treat people in that way — stripping them of their dignity and treating them like a cheap commodity? We need to reflect very carefully on where society is going on workers' rights and protections, particularly in the globalised world in which we live. The Member will know that my Department has a limited role in the situation at Larne because it is a privately owned port, and we do not have statutory responsibilities for ferries or shipping.”
“All politics is local, and these issues are hugely important. I am not aware of that particular instance. My instinct leads me to think that there may be an electrical fault, if the outage has been so frequent, but I give a commitment to taking the issue away, asking my officials for an update and providing the Member with an update in writing.”
“The Member can be absolutely assured of my support. All of us have constituents contacting us, all of us know how difficult and tight things are getting for people, and all of us want to make sure that we are doing everything that we can to help our citizens at this difficult time.”
“I am very pleased that, to date, that Bill has been able to secure the political support of every party in the House. People are looking to their politicians to act to help them, and we should certainly be doing everything to help them, even in the very difficult political circumstances in which we find ourselves.”
“It was important to me to take forward the motor insurance legislation to try to protect people against a hike of up to £50 in their motor insurance premiums. Members will be aware that I took the decision to freeze any hike in public transport fares. I did that because I recognise that many people who cannot afford a car are completely reliant on public transport. I also hope that freezing fares will make life easier for people who have to run a car and are facing huge and escalating petrol and diesel prices. It will mean that they are able to afford to travel on our public transport network. <BR /> <BR />I am conscious of the private Member's Bill that Mark H Durkan is working on. That is emergency legislation that, in the absence of an Executive, would see emergency energy payments go to households right across the North.”
“The Member is absolutely right. We bandy about terms like "cost-of-living crisis", but the reality is that so many households are being crippled by soaring food bills, fuel bills and energy bills. People who are on social security are absolutely struggling. People who are not in receipt of social security are absolutely struggling, with many saying that their finances are being challenged like never before. There is a responsibility on all of us to do what we can to try to mitigate that and make sure we get money into people's pockets and keep it there. <BR /> <BR />I was pleased to be able, before Christmas, to take forward regulations in the House to protect people and families from having to pay water charges.”
“All the steps that need to be taken in advance of construction on the ground are being taken. How quickly progress will be made will be dependent on the funding that comes across to the Department. As Minister, I have been very clear that rail is a huge untapped opportunity that we have been missing. I am very keen that we do what we can to expand the rail network, particularly in the north-west area. I hope against hope that, after the election, we will have an Executive formed and have Ministers in post so that the Minister for Infrastructure will be able to move to the construction parts of the rail projects that we have been working on. That would be hugely beneficial. I know that rail is an issue that many Members across the House feel passionately about.”
“That is an important piece of work. The feasibility study on the half-hourly service between Derry and Belfast, and also on the three rail halts, is ongoing and is due for completion in the summer. That will enable us to move to the next stages and get to the point where it is being realised and where the local community there can enjoy the benefits of improved access to rail and be able to get to and from work or do anything else that they wish to do. That work is progressing as planned.”
“I have to be respectful of the Education Minister's role and responsibilities, but the Member will know that we have initiated the third scheme for private bus and coach operators that were impacted by significant reductions in their income during the pandemic. Applications for that scheme closed earlier this month, and we received 90 applications. Those applications are being processed so that payments can be issued as quickly as possible to those who qualify for support. I will continue to engage with the sector. If the Education Minister wishes to discuss the matter with me, I am very happy to do that, given our experiences with Northern Ireland Water.”
“The Member raises a very important point. It is certainly an issue that I am concerned about in relation to Translink, although it bought and secured fuel in advance. Members will also know that rising costs are a massive issue for Northern Ireland Water, which is the single biggest electricity consumer in the North. <BR /> <BR />School transport is a matter that falls to the Department of Education and the Education Authority. However, I am happy to engage with the Education Minister on the issue and provide her with support, because I know how pressing it is. Sadly, it looks set only to escalate further.”
“We hope to be able to move to full procurement and construction. Of course, that is dependent on the funding that comes across in the forthcoming financial year. <BR /> <BR />On the issue of active travel, when we look at bypasses, it is very important that we do not just look at them in the very narrow sense of building a road away from a town. It is really important that we breathe life into those towns and make them places where people are comfortable and can enjoy walking and spending time shopping, visiting and socialising. Therefore, parallel to the work on the structure of the bypass — the road — my Department has taken forward a feasibility study to see what we can do to maximise the space in the town centre and revitalise it. It is very important that both aspects progress in parallel.”
“The Enniskillen bypass was one of the key strategic projects that I committed to take forward. Work has started on the ground, and I am sure that the Member has seen that. It is very important that the project advances. Crucial to that will be ensuring that there is the funding to do so. <BR /> <BR />I refer back to my previous comments about my frustration, which I know is shared, with the absence of an agreed Budget and the missed opportunity of having a multi-year Budget. The progress and pace of that project will be dictated by the funding that is made available to the Department. <BR /> <BR />I hope that the Member has seen that I have prioritised that project since taking up office. I am certainly pleased to see work starting on the ground.”
“However, public transport is right up there due to its impacts on the economy, society, the environment and social justice.”
“Making sure that we have a publicly owned public transport network is crucial. That ensures that we are able to service areas that are not on profit-driven routes. That is really important, particularly for our rural communities. It is also really important that we get as many people as possible out of their private vehicles and onto public transport. The only way that we can do that is by ensuring that we have sufficient funding to maintain the existing network and to improve and enhance the transport offering across the North and, through the all-island strategic rail review, throughout the island. I will certainly continue to make that case with Executive colleagues. <BR /> <BR />Difficult choices have to be made. We have a difficult Budget and a number of priorities.”
“The short answer is no. It has been well rehearsed and is in the public domain that Translink was not in receipt of sufficient funding over many years, which then required it to eat into its reserves. Significant funding was provided during COVID, as was the case for transport providers and operators across these islands, given the significant drop in passenger numbers, which impacted on demand.”
“It has always been the case that the regional strategic transport network plan would have to go out to public consultation. It is a key strategic document that will set out infrastructure priorities up to 2035. Given that it is such complex and important work, I am sure that the Member will agree that it is important that we get it right. That is the work that officials have been undertaking. The intention is that, when it is completed, it will go out to public consultation, every Member and citizen will have the opportunity to feed back their views and then the plan can be adopted accordingly.”
“I want the extension to free travel for people with a disability to come into effect under those new operators as soon as possible. That is the timescale that I am working on. As I said, I intend to work towards completing the necessary steps to enable the scheme to be extended in the new financial year. <BR /> <BR />I have outlined what steps are required, and I will continue to work to secure the funding. In the absence of that, from our perspective, all the necessary steps are being taken forward. I am clear that the timescale for it is the new financial year.”
“Regrettably, the draft 2022-25 Budget consultation has now been paused by the Finance Minister in the absence of an Executive. However, I am committed to continuing the work towards completing the necessary steps to enable the scheme to be extended. Those steps include engagement with Translink on issues such as changes to ticketing infrastructure, targeted consultation with key stakeholders and the completion of the necessary approval processes.”
“I have announced my intention to extend the concessionary fares scheme to provide free travel for people with disabilities who currently pay half fare and to new operators who have already indicated or expressed an interest in joining. I am aware that many people with a disability have limited travel options. I took the decision to extend free travel to those who currently receive half fare as, for me, it is not just an economic, societal and environmental issue but a social justice issue, and I am keen to see more people benefit. In response to my bid for funding to do that, the draft 2022-25 Budget consultation included a proposal for ring-fenced funding to support extending free travel and extending the scheme to the new operators that had already indicated or expressed an interest in joining.”
“As we have discussed before, there has been historical underinvestment in the north-west, and you can see that most starkly when you look at a map of rail connectivity on the island, so I am committed to doing what I can through working with partners to address that.”
“The Member will be aware that I have initiated a number of feasibility studies. One is of phase 3 of the Derry to Coleraine rail line. That has been completed, and the business case is being worked on. A feasibility study for the additional three halts and a half-hourly service will be completed in the summer. Overlaying all that is the all-island strategic rail review, which is looking at how we can improve existing rail connectivity on the island, where we can have new rail links, the role of rail for freight and rail connectivity to our ports and airports. I am due to go to Dublin tomorrow to get an update with Minister Eamon Ryan and the consultants on that work, and I am committed to driving it forward.”
“<BR /> <BR />Two park-and-ride facilities are also being provided as part of the scheme to provide local commuters with more sustainable, cleaner and greener transport options. One is in Drumahoe, and it became operational last year. The other is at Claudy and is nearing completion. Covered cycle shelters are provided at both facilities.”
“To help to promote active travel in line with my Department's commitment to create greener infrastructure and encourage people to walk and cycle, the scheme provides a continuous route for cyclists and pedestrians between Claudy and Drumahoe. It will be a combination of proposed new and existing footpaths and new shared-use access lanes and existing roads that will also provide a link to Oaks Wood and Burntollet Wood. <BR /> <BR />Between Dungiven and Claudy, cyclists and pedestrians will use the existing shared paths, footpaths and hard shoulder on the old A6 Foreglen Road, which will have significantly reduced traffic flows following the opening of the new dual carriageway. My Department proposes further upgrades to footways and cycleways on some of those sections under separate schemes.”
“The Member will know that the regional strategic network transport plan is being developed with the aim of going out to public consultation. That will set strategic priorities to 2035 for road, bus and rail. I encourage the Member to make representations about the project that he has just cited when that goes out to public consultation. He has raised others with me that can be considered within that framework.”
“Construction of the new 25·5-kilometre section of dual carriageway between Drumahoe and Dungiven, which includes a bypass of Dungiven, is now well advanced, with earthworks, drainage and all 22 structures substantially complete. In November 2021, work commenced to lay the final surface course. To date, more than 30% of the final road surface has been laid. <BR /> <BR />Work continues on the remaining elements of the project, including the provision of a safety barrier, road marking, signage, street lighting at junctions, landscaping and accommodation works. I am pleased to say that those will be completed this year, largely as planned.”
“I am happy to provide a written update so that the Member has the latest position on Orpen Drive.”
“Although some slippage has occurred, that time frame remains achievable. Certainly, I have instructed my officials to work to that time frame.”
“I have published the new addendum and the associated documentation. The public consultation process is under way and will run to 6 May. As Minister for Infrastructure, I have no authority over when the Planning Appeals Commission (PAC) will reconvene the public inquiry, but it is hoped that it can take place later this year. My officials have been in discussions with the PAC to secure an early date for that. <BR /> <BR />Receipt of the PAC's final report from the inquiry should allow a new ministerial decision to be taken. Subject to the successful completion of all the necessary statutory processes and environmental assessments, the construction of phase 1A could commence later that year. In recent years, the programme for scheme delivery has referred to full scheme completion by 2028.”
“<BR /> <BR />I assure the Member that, on my watch, my Department remains committed to improving road safety along the existing A5 until such times as the long-awaited A5 dual carriageway is constructed and fully operational.”
“That commenced a consultation process that is open until 6 May. I encourage anyone with an interest in this significant project to make their views known during the consultation period. <BR /> <BR />In advance of the major upgrade, it is important that we do what we can to improve road safety. I have asked my officials to progress a programme of work that will include interventions at the location, including the provision of street lighting and gateway signage on the approach to Garvaghy. A temporary traffic counter recently gathered information on the speed of traffic at the location, and that information will be shared with the PSNI and will be used to help to inform further safety interventions. I have asked my officials to liaise with the PSNI and the PCSP to consider placing a speed indicator device at the location.”
“I have had the very moving opportunity to meet families who have tragically lost a loved one on that stretch of road. That was an important opportunity for me to hear at first hand their experience and the experiences of the local community as they try to go about their everyday business while living in close proximity to a key transport corridor. <BR /> <BR />I assure the Member and all the families who have been affected and have a lost a loved one along that stretch of road that I reaffirm my commitment to the delivery of the A5. The project will transform things and improve road safety. It will also deliver multiple benefits to those who live around it. <BR /> <BR />Last week, I published the new environmental statement addendum and associated documentation as the next vital steps for the progression of the A5 dual carriageway scheme.”
“Hopefully, whatever Minister is in place will recognise the clear need for and multiple benefits from the project and will continue to push it forward.”
“The Member will know that there are complexities to the project around topography, the presence of adjacent private residential properties, access to land, which was resolved last month, public utility equipment and the existing narrow masonry bridge. I have said to local residents and to my officials that we need to work hard to complete the design. A consultant has been appointed to take that work forward, so, hopefully, that should progress things further. <BR /> <BR />Given all the processes that have to be completed, I am keen to see work on the ground started at the earliest opportunity. While it will fall into the new financial year, I have made it clear that it sits perfectly with the blue-green infrastructure fund.”
“I am keen to improve facilities for pedestrians, and I recently visited Hannahstown to listen to concerns and see for myself the difficulties being experienced by road users and, in particular, pedestrians. I have given my commitment to the delivery of a new footway through Hannahstown village, and my Department is progressing the design. I have instructed my officials to assess the suitability of the existing speed limit in Hannahstown village. A traffic survey to determine the mean speed and traffic volumes in the village was carried out in January, and the results are being analysed as part of a speed limit assessment. My officials will also carry out a survey to determine the need for a pedestrian crossing in the village, which is an issue that the Member has also raised.”
“I agree with Mr Dunne about the seriousness of that court judgement. That is what led me to come to the House to make an oral statement and to the establishment of the independent investigation, details of which I just outlined in response to Mr Muir. I am very keen to receive that report. I have not received it as yet. When I made the statement to the House, I gave a commitment that I would report back to the House and update it on the findings of the investigation. I have also been very clear with my officials that we have one week remaining in the mandate and that we need to ensure that my commitment to every Member in the House is honoured and that they are given that clear update.”
“The investigation, led by Ms Sarah Hannaford QC, has been completed. I expect to receive the report in the coming days. My intention is to then ensure that the House is updated on the investigation's findings. As I have laid out to officials, my commitment is to do that later this week.”
“I thank Mr Muir and all the members of the Infrastructure Committee for very constructive working relationships. At times, those working relationships were tense, but they were always very constructive — I mean that. <BR /> <BR />Given the fact that this could be my last Question Time as Infrastructure Minister, I also place on record my appreciation for all the hard work of my officials. I have certainly pushed them. I pay tribute to their determination and commitment to the communities in which they live and to the people of Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The independent investigation is a really important piece of work. Members know that, in my statement to the Assembly on 15 June 2021, I announced that I was establishing an independent investigation to ensure that the Department and others learned from that court judgement.”
“Our current standards specify response times for the repair of defects that range from one calendar day for the most serious defects to periods of five working days and four weeks for less serious defects. I assure the Member that I will continue to make the case at the Executive to ensure that we have sufficient funding not only to maintain the road network but to seek to improve it with new infrastructure.”
“The Member knows, particularly as he is a member of the Infrastructure Committee, that the Barton report, which was carried out a number of years ago, identified a minimum level of funding of £140 million per annum to maintain the road network. Allocations to the Department and its predecessor have fallen significantly short of that year-on-year, and we now find ourselves in the untenable situation of there being significant deterioration to our road network. The Department has had to implement a limited repair service compared with what it was able to do before. <BR /> <BR />The Department continues to do what it can with the resources allocated to it, certainly in respect of defects.”
“Contracts for the Coleraine ring road and cycle path, and for resurfacing part of the A6 at Castledawson, have been tendered, and the tenders are being assessed. A contract for resurfacing in the Ballygawley area has also recently been released for tender. It is anticipated that those contracts will be awarded in April and May this year. In addition, further one-off contracts are being prepared, including for resurfacing part of the A3 Portadown Road.”
“The interim asphalt resurfacing procurement strategy consists of four phases of fixed-term contracts, as well as a number of larger one-off contract packages. The first phase of term contracts, with a total maximum estimated value of over £35 million over the next two years, was released for tender on 19 November 2021. Tenders have been received and are being assessed. <BR /> <BR />The development of the phase 2 competition is well advanced, and it will be released for tender in the coming days. A one-off contract package for Skeoge road and roundabout resurfacing was awarded in January, and intention-to-award letters for a resurfacing contract for the Cookstown area will be issued later this week.”
“I absolutely agree with the Member. As she highlighted, as did I in my response, we have particular challenges on our rural roads. Part of that is due to the quality of our rural roads. That is an issue that I have been trying to address. It will take some time, because of historical underinvestment. It is also about ensuring that we have the right infrastructure. We are doing what we can to encourage all road users to be safe in their actions. I will continue to do what I can. The forthcoming road safety strategy will play a crucial role in that. I thank Members across the House, because road safety is an issue that, regardless of where Members sit in the Chamber, everybody feels strongly about, and they have been proactive in spreading that important road safety message.”
“Significant programmes of work have been delivered across all areas in 2021-22, in particular on rural roads. <BR /> <BR />From a road safety perspective, we know from the evidence that, regrettably, two thirds of deaths or serious injuries in road collisions in Northern Ireland occur on rural roads. My Department has a campaign within its current public information campaign portfolio that specifically challenges drivers to be aware of the hidden dangers on rural roads, underpinned with the warning, "Your risky driving catches up with you". That message is delivered frequently across the year. I remind all road users that we all have a responsibility as drivers to adapt our driving to the weather, the road conditions and our own ability. Always expect the unexpected.”
“I take safety on our rural roads very seriously. My Department continues to be actively committed to improving safety on our roads and to work closely with our road safety partners to deliver a programme of road safety education, engineering and enforcement activities. My Department has a rolling programme of maintenance and repairs across the road network. All roads are inspected on a regular basis, and defects that meet my Department’s current intervention levels are recorded and prioritised for repair. The forecast spend for capital structural maintenance in 2021-22 is £85 million. That includes £17 million for a roads recovery fund, with £15 million of that allocated to rural roads, which is a 50% increase on last year and is the highest level of funding allocated specifically to this rural roads initiative by any Minister to date.”
“I thank the Member for his question. He raises a crucial point. Of course I had concerns with the draft multi-year Budget that was presented when it was going out for consultation, and I highlighted the reasons for that concern. However, the purpose of having, hopefully, an agreed multi-year Budget was to enable Departments to forward plan and deliver change in their communities with a greater degree of certainty than before. It is therefore deeply frustrating that, without an Executive, an agreed Budget cannot be brought forward. The people who will suffer in all this are our citizens in every constituency right across the North.”
“My Department is developing a suite of local transport plans, including the subregional transport plan, the north-west transport plan and the Belfast metropolitan transport plan. Those local transport plans will be developed alongside the councils' local development plans and will reflect their growth ambitions. That proactive planning and design approach will facilitate real changes and a holistic consideration of which transport solutions can best deliver our desired outcomes, including having reduced carbon emissions and creating high-quality urban spaces that benefit communities. As local transport plans are to be developed alongside the councils' development plans, their delivery dates will be influenced by that process.”