Committee for Infrastructure

Minutes of proceedings 10 June 2026

Committee for Infrastructure minutes of proceedings 10 June 2026.pdf (192.01 kb)

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

Present:

Mr Peter Martin MLA (Chairperson)

Mr Stephen Dunne MLA

Mrs Sinéad Ennis MLA

Mr Andrew McMurray MLA

Mr Maolíosa McHugh MLA

Apologies:

Mr John Stewart MLA (Deputy Chairperson)

Mr Harry Harvey MLA

Mr Peter McReynolds MLA

Mr Justin McNulty 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 10:05 am in closed session.

1. Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill – Further Deliberations

The following official joined the meeting at 10:05 am:

Ms Liz Marsh, Bill Clerk, Northern Ireland Assembly

The Committee considered and discussed a range of options and draft amendments as part of its continuing scrutiny of the Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill.

The Committee noted that an additional meeting has been provisionally scheduled on Tuesday, 23 June 2026, to provide a further opportunity to inform the Committee’s consideration of the Bill and to undertake the informal clause-by-clause scrutiny.

Agreed: To request a revision to one of the options for a draft amendment from the Bill Office.

The official left the meeting at 10:43 am.

The Committee suspended at 10:44 am.

The Committee resumed at 10:55 in public session with the following Members present:

Present:

Mr Peter Martin MLA (Chairperson)

Mr Stephen Dunne MLA

Mrs Sinéad Ennis MLA

Mr Andrew McMurray MLA

Mr Maolíosa McHugh MLA

Agreed: To agree the draft revised timetable for the Committee’s scrutiny of the Bill.

2. Apologies

As above.

3. Declaration of Interests

None.

4. Chairperson’s Business

The Chairperson highlighted the recent public disorder leading to the destruction of one of Translink’s glider buses.

The Committee reaffirmed the need for any protests to be peaceful in order to avoid further destruction of property or threats to individuals.

5. Draft Minutes

Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday, 3 June 2026.

6. Matters Arising

None.

7. Correspondence

Response from the Minister for Infrastructure to the Committee’s request for the Department’s assessment of its financial position against the approved cash totals under the Vote on Account.

Agreed: To schedule oral evidence from the Department in September on its current financial position or on any budget allocation in the event that a budget is agreed.

Response from the Minister for Infrastructure to the Committee’s request for information on the reservoirs that are privately owned in Northern Ireland.

Agreed: To give further consideration once the remaining outstanding information is received.

Response from the Minister for Infrastructure to the Committee’s request for clarification on what engagement has been undertaken on the voluntary motor insurance code.

Agreed: To write to the Department to establish what engagement it has had with the UK Government on the development of a voluntary motor insurance code similar to that which has been introduced in the Republic of Ireland.

Department for Infrastructure correspondence enclosing a press release on on-street pay and display parking machines.

Agreed: To consider when hearing oral evidence from representatives of APCOA in September.

Copy of a response from the Department for Infrastructure to the Committee for Communities requesting for a map of ‘closed areas’ for development due to the lack of capacity in the wastewater network.

Agreed: To write to Northern Ireland Water to seek detail, by each council area, of the number and size of developments or housing projects that cannot be progressed due to a lack of wastewater capacity.

The Committee noted the following items of correspondence:

Correspondence from the Minister for Infrastructure highlighting the potential need for a Legislative Consent Motion in relation to the Civil Aviation (Consumer Protection and Regulatory Reform) Bill.
Response from the Minister for Infrastructure to the Committee’s request for confirmation that the £15 million project relates to the Belfast Hills and for details of the £27m Newry project;
Response from the Minister for Infrastructure to Committee request for the Department’s assessment of the key drivers for the underspend of earmarked funding for road projects;
Response from the Minister for Infrastructure to Committee request for the Department’s assessment of how it balances the risk to public safety for the removal of the street lighting infrastructure;
Department for Infrastructure correspondence providing a copy of the Statement on the North-South Ministerial Council (NSMC) Transport Sectoral Meeting Held on Thursday 7 May 2026;
Department for Infrastructure correspondence providing the Update Belfast City Centre Traffic Report for May 2026;
Department for Infrastructure correspondence providing notification of the initiation of the process to appoint two Non-Executive (Councillor) Members to the Board of Warrenpoint Harbour Authority;
Copy of the Construction Employers Federation Manifesto for the 2027 NI Assembly Elections;
Correspondence from the House of Lords proposing a simplification of technical requirements and testing procedures for motor vehicles and repealing Council Directive 70/157/EEC and Regulation No 540/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council;
Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland copy of the Department for Infrastructure Investing Activity Report – May 2026;
Correspondence from a member of the public regarding an active sewerage incident and a request for immediate Departmental intervention;
The 67^th Report of the Examiner of Statutory Rules.

8. SL1 – The Grants to Water and Sewerage Undertakers Order (Northern Ireland) 2027 - Department for Infrastructure – Oral Evidence

The following departmental officials joined the meeting at 11:11 am.

Julie Ann Dutton – Head of Water Policy and Legislation, Department for Infrastructure;
Jim McComish – Water Policy and Legislation, Department for Infrastructure; and
Damian Curran – Head of Northern Ireland Water Shareholder Unit, Department for Infrastructure.

The Committee agreed that the evidence is recorded by Hansard.

A question and answer session followed.

The departmental officials left the meeting at 11:31 am.