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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“The booking service is now closed, and the DVA will contact those who had their driving tests cancelled to advise them on how they can reschedule their appointments. <BR /> <BR />To create additional capacity, the DVA is planning to open up the booking system for February for the impacted customers only. Further appointments will also be made available in November, December and January as the DVA increases capacity by recruiting additional examiners. The slots, when they are released, will also be available only to the impacted customers. <BR /> <BR />The DVA acknowledges that learner drivers are keen to take their driving tests at the earliest opportunity and will continue to work hard to maximise the availability of test slots.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions 2 and 13 together. <BR /> <BR />The Driver and Vehicle Agency’s (DVA) booking system for driving tests reopened on 5 October, and thousands of bookings have been made. At this time, the DVA has not released any driving test slots beyond January 2021. <BR /> <BR />As Members will be aware, driving instructors have been included in the Executive’s regulations on businesses that must close over the next four weeks to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Following that Executive decision, driving tests will also cease over this period of increased restrictions based on public health and scientific advice. Motorcycle lessons and tests are not affected by the new restrictions.”
“I agree that there is huge interest in the project, not just inside the House but outside it. There is a great will and enthusiasm to see the project progress. As I have said, my Department received the report from the public inquiry just yesterday, and we are giving it careful consideration. I have asked my officials to ensure that any communications from my Department are maximised to reach members of the public as well as Members of the House who are also keen to see that project delivered.”
“Yes, and I thank the Member for her interest. The A6 project is progressing well. We had anticipated some impact and delay due to COVID, but construction has progressed very quickly on the site, and we are advancing. I was able to make a bid for capital money during the recent monitoring round. <BR /> <BR />The A5 was subject to a public inquiry. The report has been passed to my Department. My officials are giving the report careful consideration and obtaining legal advice before submitting the report to me to decide the next steps. Again, this is another strategic project that is of critical importance, not least, to address the regional imbalance in Northern Ireland.”
“I recognise the concern that motorcyclists have about wire rope barriers and that the issue exists in many countries. My Department is currently working to the standards that are applied across Europe. Impacts with safety barriers, of any type, represent a very small proportion of road collision statistics for motorcyclists. For all existing motorways and high-flow dual carriageways, my Department specifies concrete barriers for the central reserves as part of any road upgrades and when existing barriers need to be replaced. My officials are currently considering the ongoing maintenance costs for wire-rope safety barriers in comparison with non-tension systems, and this may change the way the Department specifies safety barriers in the future. I will be happy to meet the delegation and the Member.”
“I agree with the Member on the importance of road safety. The A1 is also important for connectivity, given its strategic importance. I assure him that I am keen to progress the scheme to the next stage as quickly as possible. The precise timescale for that will depend on the outcome of the public inquiry and consideration of the report. I recognise the road's importance. I met Mr and Mrs Heaney, who tragically lost their son, Karl, and gave them my commitment to move forward with the scheme as quickly as is practically possible, and I will keep Members updated.”
“My officials will require some time to consider fully the inspector’s proposals and recommendations. When I have been apprised of the findings, I will consider them carefully and decide on the next steps for this important scheme. I am keen to progress the A1 junctions phase 2 road improvement project to the next stage as quickly as possible, once all the necessary statutory processes have been completed and the necessary funding has been secured.”
“I recognise that many in the local community support the safety improvements that are being proposed along the A1 between Hillsborough roundabout and Loughbrickland. In particular, I am very aware of how important the A1 improvements are for the many people who have expressed their support for them, especially those who have lost loved ones. <BR /> <BR />A public inquiry into the A1 junctions phase 2 road improvement scheme was held from the 11 March until 13 March 2020. Following the inquiry, the inspector undertook a number of site meetings to ensure that he gave full consideration to all the issues raised. Although those site meetings were delayed by COVID-19 restrictions, they have now been completed. The inspector issued his report to the Department yesterday.”
“I recognise that the project has support among a number of people and do not want to be disrespectful of that, but imagine what we could do with £20 billion. The Member is proactive in representing his constituents and seeking advancements to and progress on infrastructure in his constituency that I support and would like to do more on. We look at what we could do on the road network. We have spoken about the need to decarbonise public transport. Those are priorities. I would not like to be in a position where we were squandering — yes, I said, "squandering" — £20 billion on a bridge that neither the Scottish Minister nor I as Infrastructure Minister see as a number-one priority.”
“I thank the Member for his question. If there were an endless pot of money and if we had strategic investment in our strategic infrastructure network, I would be happy to look at this. The reality is that this bridge is estimated to cost £20 billion, and there are huge questions over its engineering possibilities. We have to look at the person who is proposing it. He has a long list of vanity bridges that he has never been able to get off the ground. So, yes, I am open to all key strategic projects, but I remind the British Government and the Prime Minister that he has given commitments around New Decade, New Approach and that he absolutely must honour those.”
“However, as I hope that I have demonstrated, in procuring the queuing system for the online service, by the fact that we are recruiting 27 vehicle examiners and by exploring additional capacity through evening and weekend testing, we recognise that this is a really important issue, that we are doing what we can to minimise disruption while making sure that we adhere to all the risk assessments that we have carried out, that we adhere to the public health advice and, of course, that we adhere to the Executive's regulations.”
“Driving tests have recommenced. They commenced for priority groups several weeks ago. The system went live this week for new driving tests, because we had worked through key priority workers and those who had had their tests cancelled, which, I think, was the right and fair approach. As I said in response to a number of questions from Members, this is a high-demand service that was shut for five to six months.”
“I have made an allocation this year. I hope to be in a position to provide further support to other greenways in the next financial year. We have asked councils that were not in a position for us to be able to invest capital moneys this year to provide us with their proposals so that we can advance and progress through to delivery next year. Of course, that will be subject to funding, but I hope to be able to advance this agenda while I am the Minister for Infrastructure.”
“It is key to work in partnership with the councils, which have a much wider remit than me on this matter. I assure the Member that I am keen to do what I can to support the Comber greenway and the advancement of greenways across the North.”
“I thank the Member for his question. He is a champion for the Comber greenway in his constituency, and I welcome his support for the development of greenways more generally. I remember the Adjournment debate that the Member secured in March, and it was in light of that and of wider considerations of the benefits of greenways that I have found myself in the position where I am trying to support them. We wrote to all the councils to ask them for proposals in order to invest the capital moneys that we have in this financial year. I am very much in the hands of councils. <BR /> <BR />I know that the Member has a particular interest around lighting of the Comber greenway, and I have asked my officials to look into that. That will necessitate bat-friendly lighting and neighbourhood consultation.”
“The use of private garages is not possible under our legislation. I confirm that 14 test centres are up and running. The centre in Belfast, which is about to become operational, was handed back as a COVID testing centre, and the lifts are being installed as we speak. I hope that, within the next week, that centre will be live. That will help with the additional capacity that the Member seeks for his constituents.”
“I ask Members to help me in trying continually to convey that message to the public.”
“At the beginning of the process, temporary exemption certificates (TECs) were posted in hard copy, but, given their volume and the need to try to have a smooth and efficient process, we moved to an automated system. I know that that has proven difficult for some people. I think that it was Paula Bradley of the DUP who raised it as a particular issue for older citizens, so we have been engaging with Age NI and other sector groups in order to help with the communication about the automated system. <BR /> <BR />There is a DVLA website labelled "Check the MOT status of a vehicle". Anyone can go on that to see the MOT and TEC status of their vehicle. I encourage Members to encourage their constituents to do so. The Member makes a very important point. Responsibility for the safety of a vehicle rests with the owner at all times.”
“We now know that a number of customers managed to access the system from this point, although, inadvertently, that eased some of the pressure on the service the following morning.”
“I do not accept the figure of 23,000 cases. I have heard it cited a number of times, and I am keen to see the evidential basis for it. As I said, it is a high-demand service. When you close a service for five to six months, there will be difficulties. Trying to get a restaurant booked is difficult, and trying to get an appointment at a dentist or a GP is difficult. <BR /> <BR />The official reopening of online booking services for driving tests was scheduled for 8.00 am on 5 October. That was the time that the link to the driving test booking service was activated on the nidirect front page. However, Capita completed its testing of the system at around 8.00 pm and removed the restrictions on the system that had been put in place for key workers and those who had tests cancelled due to lockdown.”
“As I said, in England the system crashed when it went online because of the volume of calls. In anticipating and trying to learn from that, my officials have been very closely engaged with the DVLA in England. We procured a queueing system to ensure that it would be able to cope. I am pleased to say that that is happening. As I said, we have been in a very significant recruitment process to bring in additional examiners. We are also exploring how we can provide tests in the evenings and on Sundays, but I have to caveat that with the need to ensure that the road safety conditions are paramount, because this is about teaching people to drive safely on all our roads.”
“These are very difficult times, but I assure you that the DVA is doing what it can to resume its services safely and as quickly as possible.”
“Yes. I want to assure the Member that the DVA has been taking steps in that regard. It has already recruited three additional examiners. We are in the process of recruiting 12 temporary vehicle examiners and an additional 12 permanent vehicle examiners. The purpose of that is to free up our dual-role examiners to carry out additional driving tests. <BR /> <BR />I understand the disruption that this is causing, but I also have to be honest with people. This is a high-demand service that was shut for five to six months. We have put in measures around the call system, and we put in the queueing system. We compare, at this moment in time anyway, although it is a fast-changing situation, favourably with other parts of these islands. In the Republic of Ireland, for example, there is an eight-month waiting list for a practical driving test.”
“The DVA will be incrementally releasing additional slots for November and December when staffing availability is confirmed, as it continues to recruit more examiners to increase testing capacity as quickly as possible.”
“I thank the Member for his question. He raises an important issue. <BR /> <BR />There has been high demand for driving test bookings since the service reopened to all customers after being shut down for several months due to the Executive's regulations to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Thousands of driving tests have been booked for October to December. Those include bookings for priority groups, those who had tests cancelled, and the new tests. The queueing software has worked well and has prevented the system from crashing, which we saw happen in England. Slots have been released across all test centres up to the end of December. Today, the DVA released further slots from January.”
“Within the Programme for Government and 'New Decade, New Approach' are strategic infrastructure projects that we all signed up to: the A5, A6 and A1. We have also had significant and systematic underinvestment in our water and waste water infrastructure. In Northern Ireland, we now have more than 100 locations where we are at or just beyond development capacity. If we believe in building homes for families and in growing our economy, we must invest in our water and waste water infrastructure. That is imperative.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I look forward to engaging with Boris Johnson on the connectivity review because there has been no consultation, certainly not with me as the Infrastructure Minister in our devolved region. <BR /> <BR />I am clear about the connectivity review. Connectivity is hugely important, but the British Government signed up to a number of commitments within 'New Decade, New Approach' that they have yet to honour. At a recent meeting with Minister Walker, I offered to send again that list of commitments to ensure that the British Government honour them. There are key strategic infrastructure projects right across Northern Ireland that would really transform lives. That is where we should put our investment, not into a £20 billion vanity bridge between Northern Ireland and Scotland that none of us wants.”
“I know that the issue causes great hurt to Translink staff. As one person said to me, "Every Thursday, people stood clapping for front-line workers". Translink was at the forefront of the fight against COVID, making sure that essential workers were getting to and from work, going over and beyond. They find it deeply hurtful that, throughout that, people were calling for them to be furloughed when it was clear that the furloughing apparatus did not apply in that instance.”
“In short, Translink did furlough staff. Translink also provided a very detailed analysis of the scoping potential for furloughing, which was shared with and accepted by the Finance Minister and Executive colleagues.”
“From the onset of COVID, I agreed to a reduction in services. However, throughout the COVID crisis, we have constantly reviewed passenger demand and ensured that we have services on standby to enable social distancing across the network. If the Member has concerns about a particular rural service, I am happy to take them away and look at them. We have been increasing our services across Northern Ireland in line with our risk assessment, the public health advice and the regulations from the Executive. The Member will also know that Translink has put on an additional 500 buses to make sure that we can transport our schoolchildren safely to and from school.”
“So, I will continue to make the case at the Executive and very much look forward to the continued support of the Member in that regard.”
“In short, I fully agree with the comments and analysis from the Member. On my desk, I have a very high pile of correspondence from all political parties, asking for additional services, additional train halts and an extension of rail lines. I wish that I was in a position to be able to grant them all. As I said, Translink is facing a hugely difficult situation as a result of COVID, and, as the Member rightly said, we have seen, right across these islands, that Governments have recognised that and recognised the importance of public transport to connecting people and tackling the climate emergency. There is also a social justice element because so many people cannot afford cars and are wholly reliant on our public transport network.”
“<BR /> <BR />Translink continues to play a vital role in ensuring that our citizens can continue to access their jobs, education and essential services, and I want to be clear that that funding is necessary if we want Translink to continue to provide that service. Protecting a publicly owned public transport network, safeguarding jobs and ensuring that there is a network that is accessible for all and based on need, not solely on profit, remains my priority, and it is one that I know all my Executive colleagues share, given the renewed commitment that I recently secured to ensure that the network is protected and funded.”
“First, I stress that securing the financial future of our public transport network remains a priority for me as we respond to the pandemic and develop sustainable ways of connecting people and communities to opportunities. <BR /> <BR />My Department’s estimate of the financial support that is required by Translink for the remainder of the current financial year is £20 million, and it will continue to bid for the shortfall. That sum takes into account the planned efficiencies identified by Translink in response to COVID-19 as well as the most up-to-date picture of customer demand. We must also recognise that reduced passenger numbers do not automatically mean a similar reduction in the level of costs for the company.”
“I thank the Member for her question. As I said, I specifically wanted to meet the local business owners earlier this year to hear directly, in a face-to-face meeting, the concerns that they have. I have said very clearly to my officials that they need to be engaging and working with local stakeholders. I have said all along, since I took up this post, that we need to work in partnership: local people know what works best. Obviously, I have strategic priorities in my Department, and there are a number of measures that we need to meet to ensure value for money, but we get to the right place and get better outcomes when we all work together. So, I can assure you that I will continue to listen, and I have asked my officials to continue to engage directly so that we can work forward together.”
“I thank the Member for his supplementary question. As I have said, I met local businesses on the Buncrana Road earlier this year to directly hear their views and concerns. I have asked my officials to continue discussions with all the stakeholders over the coming months, while progressing the scheme's development. That is, in particular, to ensure that it meets my objectives, but also so that we work to try to address the concerns that are being expressed locally.”
“<BR /> <BR />Earlier this year, I met local business owners in the area, and I have committed to exploring what options can be looked at in the light of their concerns. I am keen to work in partnership with the community to deliver positive change for the north-west. I hope to be in a position to decide upon the progression to the next stage, which includes the publication of the draft statutory orders for consultation, by mid-2021.”
“In June, I announced my commitment to fund the continued development of a number of strategic road improvement schemes, including the A2 Buncrana Road, as part of my plan to aid economic recovery and community transformation while addressing regional imbalance. As is consistent with my wider priorities, I am committed to ensuring that this scheme is future-proofed and that it will help to stimulate the green recovery. My Department will continue to progress the A2 Buncrana Road scheme in line with my objectives, which include improving transport links, road safety and traffic progression, and contributing to the regeneration of the area while maintaining the environment and achieving value for money.”
“I thank the Member for her question. I place on record my appreciation to local representatives of all parties who have been representing their constituents concerning this issue. They have also been very much in solution mode as well, so they are representing their constituents' concerns while coming up with practical ideas about how we can work together to address this. My officials have attended the multi-agency meeting — I know that the PSNI was there, but I do not know whether there were any representatives from the Department of Justice. However, a partnership approach is the right approach in this instance, and my officials will work across all Departments and with all statutory agencies to try to address this and to bring peace of mind and a better of quality of life to the residents who are affected.”
“As I have outlined, my Department is progressing legislation to extend existing traffic-calming measures on Lansdowne Road in Portrush. The scheme will consist of the following measures: one set of speed cushions on Causeway View between the junctions of Lansdowne Crescent and Princess Street; and two sets of speed cushions on Lower Lansdowne Road. The proposal was advertised earlier this year, and there were no objections. I recognise how concerning this situation is for residents, and I am pleased that the scheme is planned to be in place this financial year.”
“I very much am. I see the problem as having multiple layers, and we need to take a comprehensive approach to it. Tackling the issue of modifications to exhausts and the dangerous condition that a number of the vehicles are in will help with that. Doing what we can to ensure that drivers are not gathering in large numbers and revving their engines is also an important component, and we will continue to work with all elected representatives, including the council, with the PSNI and with local communities to try to get the situation under control.”
“I know that the Member has been working very hard on the issue locally. The police can and do close roads in Portstewart and Portrush when they have concerns about public safety. We need to be clear, however, that that is not really the solution, as we want all drivers to use the road and to have respect for all. I can assure him that my officials have attended the multi-agency meetings to date and will engage with all the partner organisations to try to address that issue and local residents' concerns.”
“Results from those inspections revealed that 12 vehicles — 85% — were found to be non-compliant with construction and use requirements to varying degrees and that four were found to be in such dangerous condition that they could not continue to be used on a public road. Overall, 12 vehicles were subject to immediate prohibition action owing to varying road safety critical defects, with several drivers informed that they would be reported, with a view to prosecution by police.”
“<BR /> <BR />Members may also be interested to know that the Department is progressing legislation to extend existing traffic-calming measures on Lansdowne Road in Portrush. That will introduce some additional traffic-calming humps to address some of the concerns about speeding in Portrush. <BR /> <BR />The Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) provided technical support during a multi-agency enforcement operation in Portrush and Portstewart on 30 August 2020, which coincided with a recent car cruise event. During the operation, police escorted 14 modified cars to Coleraine vehicle test centre, where each vehicle was thoroughly examined by an enforcement officer using the agency's vehicle test equipment.”
“As the Minister responsible for promoting and improving road safety, I want to work actively with all partners to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads. As such, I have regular discussions with the PSNI about road safety, and I am acutely aware of the ongoing road safety concerns relating to car cruises in Portrush and Portstewart. <BR /> <BR />I recognise that local residents are extremely concerned about the adverse effects caused by vehicles speeding and from noise pollution in the area. My officials have had discussions with both the PSNI and Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council about those events, and I understand that a further multi-agency meeting is to be arranged.”
“Public transport, like all organisations, has suffered hugely as a result of COVID-19, with a dramatic drop in passenger numbers and, therefore, income. The battle for me is to secure the necessary investment to protect our existing public transport network. However, I assure the Member that my ambitions do not stop there. I want to see rail connectivity pushed across Northern Ireland. I want to see public transport as a cornerstone of the Executive's economic and climate action strategy.”
“I am very mindful of east-west connectivity. As I have said on the Floor of the Assembly, one of the positives of COVID-19 and something from which I have benefited is the close engagement that has taken place with ministerial counterparts across these islands. I have developed a positive working relationship with Michael Matheson in Scotland, my counterpart in Wales and Grant Shapps in the Department for Transport, although, at times, it is fractious. I do not want to lose that engagement; I want to build on it. It is particularly important in the face of Brexit. <BR /> <BR />I am very ambitious for our rail opportunities. The difficulty that I will face is my ambition being curtailed by a lack of investment and funding.”
“I thank the Member for her question. It is an issue that spans Departments. My officials are working with their counterparts in Scotland, and I am in close contact with Michael Matheson, my ministerial counterpart, because we recognise the strategic importance of that connection. Of course, I will continue to press the British Government to ensure that we get the required investment to allow us to get the road upgrades and the connectivity required to support our economy and to connect our communities.”
“With the economic strain here, the climate emergency, COVID-19 and Brexit, we need to make strategic choices to enhance our economy and to connect our communities. I will, of course, need funding, but, given our commitments in 'New Decade, New Approach' to delivering change and investing in infrastructure, I hope that my Executive colleagues will support the delivery that our communities need.”
“I thank the Member for his question. As he knows, I am determined to make progress on island-wide connectivity. In the face of Brexit and economic turbulence, the case for all-island connectivity has never been stronger. Rail is a crucial part of the jigsaw for growing connectivity north to south and enhancing our island economy. I am pleased to say that I have been working closely with Minister Ryan, and we have discussed how we can progress this important area. While we are in regular contact, I am delighted to be meeting him formally tomorrow at the sectoral meeting on transport. <BR /> <BR />The Member asks a valid question on the required support for all-island rail. Across the globe, we see investment in critical infrastructure as a means to help communities build towards recovery.”