Committee for Infrastructure

Minutes of Proceedings - 10 December 2025

Committee for Infrastructure - Minutes of Proceedings - 10 December 2025.pdf (203.98 kb)

Meeting Location: Room 29, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast

 

Present:

Mr Peter Martin MLA (Chairperson)

Mr John Stewart MLA (Deputy Chairperson)

Mr Cathal Boylan MLA

Mr Harry Harvey MLA

Mr Andrew McMurray MLA

 

Via Video Conferencing:

Mr Stephen Dunne MLA

Mr Justin McNulty MLA

 

Apologies:

Mr Maoliosa McHugh MLA

Mr Peter McReynolds MLA

 

In Attendance:

Mr Michael Potter (Assembly Clerk)

Ms Aoife Keating-Fitzpatrick (Senior Assistant Clerk)

Mr Philip Pateman (Assistant Assembly Clerk)

Mr Jonathan Lawless (Clerical Supervisor)

Mr Oliver Briant (Clerical Officer)

 

The meeting commenced at 10:04 am in public session.

 

1. Apologies

As above.

 

2. Declaration of Interests

Mr Cathal Boylan MLA declared an interest as a member of the Public Accounts Committee.

 

3. Chairperson's Business

The Chairperson and Committee members offered their congratulations and best wishes to former member of the Committee Nicola Brogan MLA on the birth of her twins.

Agreed: To send a card to congratulate the member.

The Chairperson referred to the recent debate in the Assembly Chamber on protecting the privacy and dignity at traffic collision sites and highlighted the apparent ambiguity of where responsibility lies for legislating on this issue.

Agreed: To write to the Ministers for Infrastructure and Justice to establish what policy considerations have, or will be had, to address the issue of capturing images or footage of road traffic accidents as outlined during the plenary debate on Monday 8 December.

The Chairperson referenced correspondence that he had received in relation to the positioning of traffic works signs on pedestrian footways and the impact that this can have on those with accessibility issues.

Agreed: That the Chairperson will provide copies of the correspondence for the Committee's considerationat its meeting on 14 January 2026.

 

4. Draft Minutes

Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday, 3 December 2025.

 

5. Matters Arising

In reflecting on the its external meeting at Antrim Civic Centre on 3 December and subsequent external site visit to see an example of a sustainable drainage system (SuDS), the Committee expressed their appreciation for their hospitality and assistance from council staff.

Agreed: To write to Antrim & Newtownabbey Council to thank them for the use of their facilities and to express thanks to all staff who facilitated the meeting.

The Committee discussed support to local businesses during the disruption at Kilrea Bridge in County Londonderry and noted that the responsibility for such lies with the Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for small villages.

Agreed: To write to the Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to establish that, in view of his responsibilities for small villages, what measures he could introduce to support traders that have been adversely impacted by the prolonged closure of the Kilrea Bridge.

 

6. Correspondence

Response from the Minister for Infrastructure to Committee correspondence regarding the use of money from the Shared Island Fund for the A5 Project.

Agreed: To write to the Department to ask that the Committee be informed of the process when decided and to request an overview of the process for drawing down Shared Island Funding for the A5 project once agreed with the Irish government

Response from the Minister for Infrastructure to Committee correspondence regarding a request for information on the oversight mechanisms in place to coordinate and monitor the work of utility companies and whether there are any retrospective checks of their repairs after they are completed.

Agreed: To write to the Department to seek further detail on:

  • the number of improvement notices issued by the Department to utility companies over the last five years; and
  • an overview of the number of inspections undertaken by the Department of defects that have been repaired to include whether such repairs have required further inspections to ensure that they meet the required standards.

Agreed: That the Clerk to liaises with the Clerk to the Public Accounts Committee to examine the scope of its inquiry into road openings by utilities.

Response from the Department for Infrastructure to Committee correspondence confirming the commencement of a review of Class C Taxi Licensing.

Agreed: To write to the Department to request written evidence setting out the options being considered in advance of any public consultation on Class C Taxi Licensing

Response from Advice NI to Committee correspondence regarding the practices of private car parking companies.

Agreed: To defer consideration of any next steps until responses from the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland and the Trading Standards Service have been received.

Response from the Office of Environmental Protection to Committee correspondence regarding the recently announced investigation into the departments for Infrastructure and Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Utility Regulator in respect of pollution of Belfast Lough.

Agreed: To schedule oral evidence from the Office of Environmental Protection upon the conclusion of its investigation.

Correspondence from Mobiles UK relating to the planning system in Northern Ireland.

Agreed: To schedule oral evidence at a suitable date in the Forward Work Programme.

Response from the Minister for Infrastructure to Committee correspondence regarding proposed legislation for Trust Ports.

Agreed: To write to the Department to ask to be informed of when the impacts on Trust Ports have been established and any relevance for the forthcoming legislation.

Response from the Minister for Infrastructure to Committee correspondence regarding expenditure on consultancy by Waterways Ireland.

Agreed: To write to the Department to seek a breakdown of the costs and rationale for consultancy.

The Committee noted the following items of correspondence:

  • A response from the Minister for Infrastructure to Committee correspondence requesting information on where the responsibility lies between councils and the Department for managing fallen leaves on pedestrian footpaths;
  • A response from the Minister for Infrastructure to Committee correspondence regarding a request for further information following the Developer Contribution oral evidence;
  • Copy correspondence from the Committee for Finance to the Minister for Infrastructure regarding the Review of ALBs and ALB Pay Landscape Review;
  • Department for Infrastructure monthly report on traffic congestion in Belfast City Centre for November 2025; and
  • Response from the Department for Infrastructure to Committee correspondence regarding the pedestrianisation of Hill Street.

 

7. Assembly Research and Information Service - Major Capital Projects

The researcher joined the meeting at 10:57 am.

  • Mr Des McKibbin, Research Officer, Assembly Research and Information Service.

A question and answer session followed.

Harry Harvey left the meeting at 11:28am.

The Committee suspended at 11:30 am.

 

The Committee recommenced at 11:40 am with the following members present:

  • Mr Peter Martin MLA (Chairperson)
  • Mr Cathal Boylan MLA
  • Mr Harry Harvey MLA
  • Mr Andrew McMurray MLA

 

Via Video Conferencing:

Mr Stephen Dunne MLA

Mr Justin McNulty MLA

 

Mr John Stewart joined the meeting at 11:44 am by video link.

The researcher left the meeting at 11:53 am.

 

Agreed: To write to the Minister for Infrastructure to seeking her assessment of:

  • how the current planning system is delivering to support the local economy;
  • whether any consideration is being given to introduce further legislative reforms similar to those in Great Britain under the Planning and Infrastructure Bill; and
  • how expertise of staff can be enhanced and retained when delivering capital projects.

 

Agreed: To commission research to identify alternative models for delivering capital projects as highlighted in Germany, Holland and France.

 

8. Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill

The Committee considered the all of the submissions received in response to its call for evidence on the Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill

Agreed: The draft indicative timetable for receiving oral evidence.

 

9. Speed Limit Review 2025 - Department for Infrastructure - Written Evidence

The Committee considered the Department for Infrastructure's Speed Limit Review 2025.

Agreed: To schedule an oral evidence session with officials at an appropriate date in the Forward Work Programme.

 

10. Subordinate Legislation - SRs Not Subject to Assembly Procedure

The Committee noted the following Statutory Rules, which were not subject to Assembly Proceedings:

  • SR 2025-192 The Parking Places on Roads (Coaches)(Amendment No. 2) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025; and
  • SR 2025-193 The Waiting Restrictions (Springfield Road, Belfast)(Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025.

Agreed: To note the Statutory Rules.

 

11. Subordinate Legislation - SL1s Not Subject to Assembly Procedure

The Committee noted the following proposal for a Statutory Rule, which is not subject to Assembly Proceedings:

  • SL1 - The Schools (Part-Time 20mph Speed Limit)(Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025.

Agreed: To note the proposal for the Statutory Rule.

Agreed: To write to the Department to establish the response rate by the Police Service for Northern Ireland in the areas proposed within the rule and its assessment of responses more generally on similar proposals.

 

12. 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 during the meeting.

 

13. Any Other Business

Agreed: To delegate authority to the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson during periods of recess to submit views on the releasing or withholding of information in any non-routine or contentious Freedom of Information (FoI) requests that are received.

Agreed: To write to the Minister of Infrastructure to clarify whether she intends to introduce legislation around developer contributions as stated in the course of the opposition business on the multi-year budget by the Minister of Finance on Tuesday, 25 November 2025.

Agreed: To commission legal advice to ascertain whether the Committee has the scope to examine the custom and practices of private car operators in recovering unpaid parking charges.

Agreed: To write to the ministers of Finance and Infrastructure to establish why a bid classified as high priority was met by the Executive over other inescapable bids advanced by the Department for Infrastructure for the December Monitoring Round.

 

14. Date, Time and Place of next meeting

The next meeting will be on Wednesday, 14 January 2026 at 10:00 am in Room 29, Parliament Buildings

The meeting was adjourned at 12:21 pm.

 

Mr Peter Martin

Chairperson, Committee for Infrastructure

14 January 2026