Stephen Dunne
North Down · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Minister for her answer. Does the Minister recognise that the delays are causing a lot of stress to current officers and those who have served in the past and are impacting on the morale of current officers? What level of engagement has she had on the issue in the past, and what are her plans, in that regard, for the future?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. With approximately 15% of the entire Waterways Ireland estate located in Northern Ireland, I am keen to establish any detail that you may have on the scale of immediate safety risks, with regard to diseased trees in Northern Ireland specifically, that are linked to the tree management strategy, whic…”
“All the trust ports support the legislation, as was reflected in the responses to the consultation carried out last year on this important issue. It is also worth noting that trust ports in the rest of the United Kingdom — in Scotland, England and Wales — have been reclassified with no issues.”
“I am pleased to speak in the Second Stage debate on the Harbours Bill. As a member of the Committee for Infrastructure, I support the Bill's general intention, which, ultimately, is to provide all the trust ports in Northern Ireland with greater commercial flexibility. The trust ports are a key part of our local economy.”
“More than 20,000 people are employed in the harbour estates alone, and the harbours support over 15% of our country's total annual output. We can see the developments taking place at the D3 cruise terminal at Belfast harbour through the work that is going on there.”
“That should be the focus for all of us, and something that we can support and get behind. There is no doubt that all our trust ports already deliver significant economic and social benefits, but they are telling us that they can do more, want to do more and are willing to do more.”
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“It can now truly be said that he is one of the greatest if not the greatest ever sports stars from Northern Ireland. Around the world, we have a proud record of punching well above our weight in many sports. Whether in football, motor sports or the Olympics, we see names from here that are now iconic around the world, such as George Best, Joey Dunlop and Dame Mary Peters. Rory McIlroy is proudly right up there with them. He is relatively young, and I am confident that there is more major success to come. I trust that, one day, we will be able to congratulate him by giving him his rightful title of "Sir Rory McIlroy". Congratulations to Rory McIlroy: a true Masters champion and a hero to everyone in Northern Ireland.”
“People of all ages can get behind Rory McIlroy, and that defines what Northern Ireland is all about: pride and passion and something that we can all truly get behind. <BR /> <BR />There is great pride in my constituency today, including in Holywood, the town that Rory is proud to call "home". Across North Down, Northern Ireland and, indeed, the world, people call him one of their own. His parents, Gerry and Rosie, can also be proud, as can the wider McIlroy family, who are all involved and are rightly very proud of Rory. It is also worth congratulating Harry Diamond on his role as trusted loyal caddie and childhood friend. There is real sentimental value in having somebody so close to share the special success.”
“Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I congratulate Mr Rory McIlroy on his incredible success last evening in securing back-to-back Masters triumphs. It was a true masterclass and, across the world, something that we in Northern Ireland can be very proud of. It was his sixth majors triumph, and he joins only three other players in the history of golf in winning back-to-back Masters. He joins true golfing icons Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Sir Nick Faldo in that established Masters club. <BR /> <BR />It really is a very special achievement. Following record-breaking Grand Slam success just last year, winning back-to-back Masters is truly incredible. Rory has shown unbelievable resilience, dedication and skill and is a real inspiration to all.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. I appreciate, Minister, that you are no longer directly responsible for the Department for Infrastructure, but you cannot totally wash your hands of the failure to deliver the A5 scheme. With well over £100 million spent to date and not an inch of tarmac to show for it, do you support efforts to review and amend unrealistic climate change legislation and targets that are blocking major infrastructure projects across Northern Ireland? Just last week, Justice McAlinden hit out at what he branded an "unfair", "unacceptable", "unprincipled" and "gaslighting" approach by both the Department for Infrastructure and DAERA to the project.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Does the Minister expect the open-book exercise to include a review of the administration costs — many of which are significant — of the over 120 quangos that currently exist across Northern Ireland?”
“I thank the Member for his answer. I welcome the fact that power washing took place yesterday in advance of this question. Will the Commission commit to a more regular programme of cleaning and maintenance of that important site, which had not been cleaned for a number of years? Moreover, will consideration be given to an information board being placed at the tomb so that visitors can learn about Lord and Lady Craigavon and the significant impact that Lord Craigavon had on the history of Northern Ireland as our first Prime Minister and as a great Ulsterman?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. The review is welcome. It is fair to say that too few schemes have been delivered over the past number of years, despite considerable concern from residents across Northern Ireland, including in Bangor and Holywood in my constituency, where significant interest remains. Minister, in your previous response, you talked about cost. Will you clarify whether that will be an annual fee? Will it be one space per household, as has been the case previously?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Minister, you mentioned the innovative work by Ulster Wildlife and the NI Marine Task Force to restore the native oyster population in Belfast lough, which I have witnessed. I am sure that you have as well, Minister. How can that be expanded and built on? Can you set out any further support that your Department can provide, given the wide range of benefits that that can have in so many ways?”
“Minister, our roads are in crisis. We have heard all the excuses, but now the public rightly want to see action. The consultation on the underwhelming draft road maintenance strategy closed over a month ago. Will you update the House on when we should expect the final version of the road maintenance strategy? Will it look at important points around the role of utilities in compromising our road network, which the draft ignored?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. As he knows, open-water swimming is a popular pastime for many of our constituents. Raw sewage spills of harmful bacteria are now well beyond legal limits, however. What level of engagement has he had with the Infrastructure Minister on tackling that pollution in Belfast lough and across the north Down coastline, and how frequent is that engagement?”
“I thank the Minister for the detailed and comprehensive statement. Will his reforms allow students to sit exams for qualifications from other awarding bodies and exam boards?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. He made valid points about impact, particularly concerning vulnerable and older citizens' access to cash and the negative impact on our business sector. We have seen it in every constituency. Most recently, it was announced that the Santander branch in my constituency will close in a matter of weeks. What more engagement do you have planned? Will you have any engagement this year, or are you just relying on your meeting from 2025? It is a very important issue. I encourage the popping up of unofficial banking hubs as well as official banking hubs. I urge you to do what you can to encourage that.”
“The long-awaited progress on that is welcome, and I encourage the Minister to continue to make progress on that. I know that it is close to the heart of Lisa's family, and they have courageously campaigned for it for many years. I will continue to support those efforts. <BR /> <BR />I again take the opportunity to urge anyone with any information at all to contact the PSNI. Any information would help the ongoing investigation. As the family continues to campaign to bring Lisa home, I say, "Do the right thing and speak up". Let's find Lisa.”
“I commend the Dorrian family for their bravery and resilience in continuing to search for justice, shine that light for innocent victims and find Lisa. The courage and commitment of Lisa's family — her father, John; her late mother, Patricia; and her sisters Joanne, Michelle and Ciara — over the many years has given great hope to so many other families in similar dark situations. Having met members of Lisa's family on several occasions, I know that their desire for truth and justice is just as strong today as it was 21 years ago. <BR /> <BR />No family should ever have to face the additional heartbreak of not being able to bury a lost loved one. The "Let's Find Lisa" campaign has been a strong advocate of the introduction of Charlotte's law to Northern Ireland.”
“This week will mark the 21st anniversary of the disappearance of Lisa Dorrian, aged just 25, from a caravan park in Ballyhalbert in County Down on 28 February 2005. Lisa's disappearance has left an unfillable hole in the lives of her loving family and many friends. It continues to cast a dark shadow across our local community to this day, as, tragically, her body has never been found. For over two decades, Lisa's family has endured unimaginable pain and heartache, yet, through it all, they have shown incredible courage, resilience and determination in their quest for justice. Their campaign to find answers has not only kept Lisa's memory alive but shone a light on the important issue of unresolved cases across Northern Ireland and beyond.”
“Minister, people across Northern Ireland are subject to strict planning enforcement rules that are set by your Department. What do you say to those people, given that it seems that Sinn Féin can ignore planning enforcement and the regulations that apply to many small hard-working local businesses across the country?”
“Minister, we share a constituent who recently lost 50 dairy cows to TB. That has wiped £12,000 a month from a family dairy business in milk income; years of breeding and genetics have been lost; and a serious mental toll and stress have been placed on his family. Compensation covers only the basic value of the animals. When will you act decisively to tackle what many farmers see as simply out-of-control TB levels? The Irish Government recently announced the recruitment of 200 staff to tackle the issue. Minister, what willl you do to tackle the issue once and for all?”
“Minister, fix our roads. Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker.”
“The pothole pandemic will not fix itself: it is time for action beyond warm words and short-term funds.”
“That is what led to our proposing this important motion. The Minister has an opportunity, which she has not taken to date, to get a grip on the issue. We need to end the decade-long reliance on limited maintenance as the simple default position. We need to look at permanent, higher-quality repairs, utilising technology and best practice from across the globe. We need deliverable targets that address the Department's workforce pressures, strengthen enforcement around utility reinstatements and deliver improved inspections and real accountability. We also need to restore balance in the transport budget and get the basics right. <BR /> <BR />The public rightly expect safe roads. They expect that, when a problem of this scale is identified, decisive action will follow.”
“That is what the public want and rightly expect to be done, and that will be the measuring tool for improved roads. We also need to have an honest conversation about the balancing of budgets. When our core roads network is crumbling and we have so many potholes — 100,000 in a single year — across the country, it is legitimate to question whether the balance is right or whether the pendulum has swung too far. That needs to be considered in such debates and across the country. <BR /> <BR />I recently discovered that the Department for Infrastructure has spent £5·4 million on external consultants in the past five years alone as part of its active travel plan, £4 million of which was spent within the past two financial years. There are certainly more questions to be answered on those matters. We need to see a major reset.”
“Reinstatement standards must be improved, and follow-up inspections must be routine, robust and meaningful. Despite a 2024 Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) report into road openings by utility companies, the very draft strategy that is being hailed as a game changer makes absolutely no mention in its 18 pages of the role of utility companies. That is very disappointing, but there is an opportunity for the Minister to address that. The utility companies should be held accountable and required to put the situation right at their own expense rather than at the expense of the taxpayer. <BR /> <BR />The draft road maintenance strategy speaks of governance structures and enhanced metrics, but it lacks ambition and what really matters, which is a detailed action plan, detailed costings and time-bound delivery.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Department subjects vehicles to rigorous annual roadworthiness tests and expects cars to meet high standards of quality and safety, yet the roads that they are driven on fail the most basic tests themselves. We must also address an important factor that is often overlooked: the significant role of utility companies and the mark that they leave and toll that they take on our roads. Across urban and rural Northern Ireland, we see repeated openings of carriageways for water, gas, electricity and telecoms works. Those works are necessary, but, often, the quality of reinstatement leaves a lot to be desired and is substandard. Poor reinstatement leads to further break-up and, ultimately, surface failure. There must be much stronger oversight and quality control by the Department.”
“Indeed, the dangerous condition of our roads compromises the important road safety messaging from her Department. For motorists, a pothole can mean a burst tyre, wrecked wheels or damage to suspension or alignment. However, for cyclists and motorcyclists, it can mean much more, and, often, the consequences can be more severe. A deep, unmarked pothole has the potential to throw a rider into the path of oncoming traffic, and the potential consequences are lethal. That links into other forms of active travel: for pedestrians, including our older residents, uneven surfaces and broken carriageways present a real risk of falling and personal injury.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Minister and her Department really need to get to grips with poor repairs. The Minister continues to remind us that her Department does not have enough money, but how can her Department have no money to deal effectively with the issues facing our roads while having no reservations about spending taxpayers' money on unwanted, unnecessary Irish language signage, such as that in Grand Central station? It is clear where the Sinn Féin Minister's priorities lie: unfortunately, to date, they have not been on fixing our roads. <BR /> <BR />It is more important than ever that the Minister properly resources her Department to deal with the crisis that we face. It is not just an inconvenience issue; it is a real road safety issue.”
“<BR /> <BR />Yes, we welcome the £7·85 million winter recovery fund that was announced recently by the Minister after considerable lobbying, certainly from these Benches. However, let us be honest: that cannot simply be another sticking plaster approach as we have seen to date. Temporary repairs that have failed or will fail after the next downpour or period of frost are of no use to anyone and only cost money and staff time, and they frustrate the general public. With a transport budget of over £850 million, lack of money alone cannot be an excuse. Yet £85 million is earmarked for schemes such as cycle lanes to nowhere in some cases, and my colleagues will highlight examples of those in their constituencies. If money is the issue, that funding should be prioritised for maintaining the basic roads network.”
“No, not at this stage. There is one hour and 45 minutes for the debate, so there will be a good opportunity for everybody to contribute, and we look forward to hearing remarks from right across the House. <BR /> <BR />Eleven years of limited service inevitably produces limited results and, ultimately, failure, and we are now living with the consequences. It is the public who are living with the consequences, and they deserve better. The maintenance backlog has tripled in the past five years and now sits at over £3 billion. Public liability claims alone for vehicle damage and personal injury have more than doubled since 2019-2020, only a few years ago. Those figures come from the Department's draft roads maintenance strategy, and they are a stark admission that the current model has failed and is failing again and again.”
“For over a decade — we are now in the eleventh year — the Department has been operating what it calls a limited maintenance service. It is limited in ambition, limited in intervention and limited in outcome and very limited in delivery. Only the highest-priority defects are repaired, and even then, only the minimum work necessary is carried out to remove the immediate safety risk of potholes of over 50mm. That has left its mark.”
“In the past three months alone, almost 50,000 defects were recorded on our roads, and I am sure that that figure, even in the past week, has been added to considerably. That is close to half the total for the whole of the previous year. Let us not pretend, however, that the crisis began just a short number of weeks ago with one storm. We had Storm Éowyn, a significant storm, just over a year ago, we have had many more in the past and no doubt we will have many more in the future. The weather has, however, exposed weaknesses that have been building for years across the roads network. <BR /> <BR />Last year, over 127,000 surface defects were recorded, with almost 100,000 of those being potholes. That is not routine wear and tear; that is systematic deterioration and failure.”
“They deserve better than this Department for failure. The current Minister has blamed everything: the weather, the Tories and cuts. The only thing that she will not do is take responsibility and fix our roads. The amendment claims that the draft roads maintenance strategy sets out a clear vision. The reality is that the document is as clear as mud and lacks the ambition that is required. The amendment, tabled by Sinn Féin, the Minister's party, says to the public, "Nothing to see here", which is certainly not the case on the roads network right across Northern Ireland. That is why we cannot support it. <BR /> <BR />Recently, storm Chandra, the winter freeze and heavy rainfall have left their mark.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. The roads network across Northern Ireland has reached crisis point. The poor, dangerous and, often, shocking condition of our roads affects every corner of Northern Ireland. It is not confined to one constituency or, indeed, one council area. From city centres to country lanes, from commuter routes to residential developments, the deterioration is visible and worsening day by day. That is the case in my constituency of North Down and right across our country. I am sure that many of my colleagues will reaffirm that during the debate. <BR /> <BR />The pothole pandemic needs a cure, and this Minister does not seem to have one. Our constituents are paying the price in repair bills, damage, insurance excesses, lost time and personal injuries. That is simply unacceptable and cannot go on.”
“Minister, you will be aware of the plethora of private car parking operators across Northern Ireland, which is often confusing for people. Have you had any engagement with that sector in order to look at better regulation and, perhaps, more uniformity on charges and enforcement processes, which can be confusing for many people, regardless of their age?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. She mentioned golf tourism. Has the Minister had any discussions about bringing the Open back to Northern Ireland, given the success of the event at Royal Portrush in 2019 and 2025 and in recognition of the value of golf tourism to our local economy?”
“I thank the Minister for her statement. Has she or her Department had any discussions on how Intertrade UK can help with businesses experiencing friction east-west?”
“Long-term, sustainable funding needs to be looked at to properly fix our roads by putting in place a proper roads maintenance programme and by ensuring that, with our roads, public safety is the number-one priority.”
“Almost 50,000 potholes were recorded in the past three months alone, and the public and us as MLAs simply do not want wet sticking plasters to sort out this crisis. The Department needs to look seriously at reprofiling its budget to prioritise what matters. It has to get more proactive, rather than simply being reactive. The proof will be in the pudding with this, but it certainly is welcome that money has been found and will be invested in our roads network. We will be monitoring that very closely, and certainly the public deserve it, given the impact of the condition our roads. Many of our roads are filled with wheel-wrecking potholes, and many families are seeking compensation for costly repair bills as a result of the neglect that we have seen in recent times from the Infrastructure Minister.”
“I rise to welcome the £7·85 million winter recovery road fund that was announced last week, given the ongoing crisis on our roads. Hopefully, the Infrastructure Minister listened to what was said during the question for urgent oral answer session last week, albeit it was only for 30 minutes. <BR /> <BR />For over a decade, the warnings have been very clear about the state of our roads. We have had a very limited service from the Department. The warnings have been very clear from across the public in every corner of Northern Ireland and from the roads construction sector. Groups like the Mineral Products Association have been very clear in stressing the need for action after years of neglect, which we have seen particularly in the most recent years.”
“Our roads are in crisis. Across Northern Ireland, they are lined with wheel-wrecking potholes. We have had over 10 years of limited service by the Department; it has certainly been very limited in the past year. The long-awaited roads maintenance strategy amounted to little more than a Google street view map car going around looking for potholes. <BR /> <BR />Minister, the dogs in the street know where the potholes are. My constituents certainly feel them daily, when hitting them and then getting repair bills. When will we see action and less of the excuses and inaction?”
“How does the Finance Minister intend to provide the political leadership that has been called for by the Auditor General and Senior Civil Service unions to urgently reform workforce planning in the Civil Service, given its rising vacancies, increasing sickness, growing reliance on agency staff and overtime and, as outlined in the Audit Office report, continued failure to deliver the scale and pace of reform that is required to demonstrate value for money. As of last week, the Audit Office's report is publicly available.”
“I thank the Minister for bringing this important statement to the House today. The developments caused concern for many across Northern Ireland who value the Christian ethos in many of our schools. Will the Minister confirm whether schools can continue to organise nativity plays and other celebrations throughout the academic year?”
“Will the Minister outline the cost of introducing in Northern Ireland residential education provision similar to the Scottish model?”
“Given the ever-growing concerns about new forms of abuse, which often include online abuse, will the junior Minister outline what measures are being taken to address violence against women and girls in the online world?”
“How can you claim that the rationale and evidence base will have the desired outcomes in improving road safety?”
“I welcome any efforts to improve road safety. There are, however, important questions around accountability. It seems that, at the moment, we hear from the Minister only via the airwaves, as we did this morning. There is a fundamental lack of accountability to the House. Our roads hit crisis point, and there is no accountability. There is flooding chaos but no accountability. There is little or no action to tackle our waste water crisis, and there is no accountability. We now have the most fundamental changes to licensing in 70 years, and the Minister has had to be called to the Assembly by the Speaker. <BR /> <BR />Minister, what way is that to treat the Assembly and the public, with such an historic change being pushed through without any meaningful engagement with the Chamber?”
“It is time for the Minister to stop deflecting, stop the excuses and fix our roads.”
“<BR /> <BR />Importantly, it also undermines the road safety messaging coming from the Department when our roads are in such poor condition. It compromises that important message. Motorists and all road users are impacted on and put at great risk from using the road, whether they are pedestrians, passengers, drivers and all vehicle users. <BR /> <BR />In my constituency, the A2 dual carriageway from Bangor to Belfast carries over 40,000 vehicles daily. A hard-working gentleman hit a pothole on Friday morning when driving to work, and it resulted in a damage repair bill of £450. That is just one constituent, but it is an example of how the Department for Infrastructure and the Infrastructure Minister are failing our communities, taxpayers and residents right across Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />For too long, our roads have deteriorated. We saw it happen under the previous Minister, John O'Dowd, and it has got even worse under Minister Kimmins, who has now been in post for one year. The same Department that demands that our cars and vehicles are kept safe and in roadworthy condition totally fails when it comes to the condition of our roads. <BR /> <BR />This is a roads crisis, and people want urgent action, a clear plan and decisive action to fix it. People rightly do not want compensation forms; they want safe roads. Compensation forms are purely an admission of failure from the Department and the Minister. There also needs to be a much greater balance between often generously funded active travel schemes and basic road maintenance, which has been totally neglected over the past number of years.”
“I rise today to highlight a real crisis on our roads network right across Northern Ireland. Our roads are in a shocking and dangerous condition in rural and urban areas in every corner of the country. Our roads are lined with thousands of wheel-wrecking potholes that are damaging tyres and suspension and only adding costly repair bills to hard-pressed families during these difficult times. <BR /> <BR />It appears that the Infrastructure Minister has lost control of her Department and has really failed to get on top of the issue. It is a clear dereliction of duty, given the significance of road safety and basic road maintenance across our roads network. Taxpayers rightly expect safe roads. Rather than focusing on divisive vanity projects, the Minister needs to get back to basics and fix our roads.”
“Does she accept that allowing it to remain undermines the rule of law, confidence in her, as a Minister, and, importantly, in her Department? <BR /> <BR />Respect for the law cannot be selective, and it is not optional. Enforcement cannot depend on political convenience. If Ministers expect the public to obey the law, they have the opportunity to lead by example, clearly, consistently and without exception. I commend the motion.”
“Was the request in a self-addressed envelope, or was it simply a case of return to sender? Perhaps the Minister will clarify that shortly. The Committee explicitly asked those questions, and the Minister has, unfortunately, chosen not to answer. That is simply unacceptable but, sadly, not surprising. Public roads, verges, bridges and rail infrastructure belong not to any political party, thankfully, but to the whole community in Northern Ireland. Ministers are custodians of that shared space, not arbiters who choose which laws to enforce. <BR /> <BR />Many questions remain to be answered. Was it erected by Sinn Féin? Was the Minister aware of its erection? Did she recuse herself from decisions involving her party?”