Committee for Infrastructure
Minutes of proceedings 25 June 2025
Committee for Infrastructure, minutes of proceedings 25 June 2025.pdf (188.93 kb)
Meeting Location: Room 29, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast
Present:
Mrs Deborah Erskine MLA (Chairperson)
Mr John Stewart MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Cathal Boylan MLA
Mr Andrew McMurray MLA
Mr Stephen Dunne MLA
Mr Peter McReynolds MLA
Mr Keith Buchanan MLA
Via Video Conferencing:
Ms Nicola Brogan MLA
Mr Mark Durkan MLA
In Attendance:
Mr Michael Potter (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Philip Pateman (Assistant Assembly Clerk)
Mr Jonathan Lawless (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Oliver Briant (Clerical Officer)
The meeting commenced in public session at 9:59 am.
1. Apologies
As above.
2. Declaration of Interests
Mrs Deborah Erskine declared an interest stating that her husband has family members who are landowners along the A5 route.
The Committee agreed to move to agenda item number 7.
7. Ministerial Priorities and Legislative Programme – Minister for Infrastructure – Oral Evidence
The Minister and Permanent Secretary joined the meeting at 10:01 am.
- Ms Liz Kimmins MLA, Minister for Infrastructure; and
- Mr Denis McMahon, Permanent Secretary, Department for Infrastructure
The evidence session was reported by Hansard.
A question and answer session followed.
The departmental officials left the meeting at 11:46 am.
Mr Andrew McMurray left the meeting at 11:47 am.
Mr Cathal Boylan left the meeting at 11:48 am.
Agreed: To write to the Minister for Infrastructure seeking:
- A timeline of key dates including an overview of advice and options provided to the Minister upon the announcement of the scheme, decisions to commence with the vesting of land and associated cost implications in light of the legal challenge of 19 November;
- An analysis of the cost implications arising from the recent judgement relating to contractor obligations and the remedial costs for transferring land vested including remedial compensation costs; and
- An overview of recommendations made by the Planning Appeals Commission and the corresponding actions taken by the Department for each recommendation.
Mr Andrew McMurray re-joined the meeting at 11:49 am.
3. Chairperson’s Business
The Chairperson provided an update to members of her and the Deputy Chairperson’s informal pre-briefing with the Minister for Infrastructure in advance of the ministerial statement on the forensic financial review of Northern Ireland Water.
4. Draft Minutes
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday, 18 June 2025.
5. Matters Arising
None.
6. Correspondence
Correspondence from the Department for Infrastructure regarding DAERA consultation on Northern Ireland’s first Climate Action Plan (CAP) 2023-2027.
Agreed: To receive oral evidence from the Department for Infrastructure on relevant areas within its remit at a suitable date in the Forward Work Programme.
Correspondence from Cornerstone relating to Mobile Infrastructure – Planning Challenges and Solutions.
Agreed: To schedule a joint oral evidence session with Mobiles UK.
The Committee noted the following items of correspondence:
- Response to Committee correspondence regarding historical reports on Northern Ireland Water funding models;
- Response to Committee correspondence regarding reservoirs under the control of Northern Ireland Water;
- Response to Committee correspondence on the differentials in compensation claimed and compensation granted in respect of historical road projects;
- Correspondence from the Competition and Markets Authority highlighting its recently launched market study into civil engineering for roads and railways;
- Copy of correspondence regarding a formal complaint over the Department for Infrastructure’s failure to commence a review of old mineral permissions under the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011;
- Correspondence from a number of individuals relating to responsibility for post-19 Special Education Need provision and associated concerns; and
- Copy of correspondence between an individual and the Consumer Council regarding an ongoing complaint with Translink.
8. Northern Ireland Water: Forensic Financial Review – Department for Infrastructure – Oral Evidence
Mr Cathal Boylan rejoined the meeting at 11:54 am.
The following departmental officials and representative joined the meeting at 11:54 am.
- Declan McGeown – Deputy Secretary, Water and Departmental Delivery Group, Department for Infrastructure;
- Susan Anderson – Director of Finance, Department for Infrastructure;
- Damian Curran – Head of the Northern Ireland Water Shareholder Unit, Department for Infrastructure; and
- Clare Kennedy – PriceWaterhouse Coopers;
The evidence session was reported by Hansard.
A question and answer session followed.
The departmental officials left the meeting at 12:35 am.
Agreed: To write to the Department seeking in confidence, where necessary, confirmation of the cost of the forensic financial review.
9. Public Consultation: Grant Scheme on the Supervision and Inspection Requirements of the Reservoirs Act (Northern Ireland) 2025 – Written Evidence
Agreed: To schedule an oral evidence session in the Forward Work Programme following the conclusion of the consultation to consider the summary of responses.
10. Public Consultation: Shaping Sustainable Places - Correspondence from the Department for Infrastructure.
Agreed: To schedule an oral evidence session in the Forward Work Programme following the conclusion of the consultation to consider the summary of responses.
11. Forward Work Programme
The Committee considered the draft Forward Work Programme.
Agreed: To proceed with the scheduled evidence as set out in the draft Forward Work Programme and to reflect to any changes agreed in the course of the meeting.
12. Any Other Business
None.
13. Date, Time and Place of next meeting
The next meeting will be on Wednesday, 2 July 2025 at 10:00 am in Room 29, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:37pm.
Mrs Deborah Erskine
Chairperson, Committee for Infrastructure
2 July 2025
