Committee for Infrastructure
Minutes of proceedings 17 June 2026
Committee for Infrastructure minutes of proceedings 17 June 2026.pdf (191.16 kb)
Meeting Location: Room 29, Parliament Buildings, Stormont, Belfast
Present:
Mr Peter Martin MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Stephen Dunne MLA
Mr Andrew McMurray MLA
Mr Maolíosa McHugh MLA
Mr Harry Harvey MLA
Mr Peter McReynolds MLA
Via Video Conferencing:
Mr Justin McNulty MLA
Apologies:
Mr John Stewart MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mrs Sinéad Ennis 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 10:02 am in public session.
1. Apologies
As above.
2. Declaration of Interests
None.
3. Chairperson’s Business
The Chairperson highlighted to Members the recent publication of the Northern Ireland Audit Office Report on Flood Risk Management in Northern Ireland.
Agreed: That the Clerk liaises with the Clerk to the Public Accounts Committee to establish whether it intends to examine the findings contained within the report.
4. Draft Minutes
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday, 10 June 2026.
5. Matters Arising
None.
6. Correspondence
Response from the Minister for Infrastructure to the Committee’s query regarding the extent to which Blue Badge parking was considered within the Eastern Transport Plan (ETP).
Agreed: To note and forward to Inclusive Mobility Transport Advisory Committee (IMTAC) for information
Response from the Minister for Infrastructure to the Committee’s correspondence for a response to the content of the Irish News article on the repair of 10,000 road defects over an 8-week period.
Agreed: To write to the Department to request a nature of and the associated timelines for their completion of the initial tranche of capital projects as referenced in the Minister’s response.
Response from the Minister for Infrastructure to the Committee’s correspondence on what alternative funding options are being considered to progress the York Street Interchange project.
Agreed: To write to the Department seeking a more detailed breakdown of expenditure under the title of ‘development fees’ as highlighted within the Minister’s response
Response from the Minister for Infrastructure to the Committee’s request setting out the Department’s rationale for declining a proposal by the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) to have designated motorcycle parking bays on footways.
Agreed: To note and forward to MAG for information.
Response from the Minister for Infrastructure to the Committee’s request for an overview of the number of vacant posts within each of the business areas and an overview of their performance against their respective targets as statutory consultees.
Agreed: To write to the Department seeking its assessment of how it intends to address the outstanding vacancies in each of the business areas indicated.
Response from the Minister for Infrastructure to the Committee’s correspondence requesting what consideration the department has given on the use of Reclaimed Asphalt Planings (RAP).
Agreed: To write to the Department to seek detail on the outcomes of the demonstration projects as outlined in the Minister’s response.
Agreed: To forward the response to Northstone for information.
Response from the Minister for Infrastructure to the Committee’s correspondence regarding the indicative timescales of the monitoring exercise as part of the pilot scheme for taxis to use bus lanes.
Agreed: To write to the Department to request that a copy of the evaluation report as referenced in the Minister’s response is provided once available.
Response from the First Minister and deputy First Minister to the Committee’s correspondence regarding proposals for the establishment of an Infrastructure Commission.
Agreed: The Clerk to liaise with the Clerk to the Committee for The Executive Office to establish the scope for officials to provide oral evidence.
Correspondence from the Department for Infrastructure providing a biannual update on the work of the Cross Departmental Working Group (CDWG), for Community Transport, including key issues, themes, and proposed solutions.
Agreed: To write to the Department requesting that the revised work plan, as referenced in the response, be provided when available
Correspondence from the Department for Infrastructure providing an update on the Minister’s Safer Journeys to School Programme.
Agreed: To note that oral evidence is to be scheduled in the Forward Work Programme.
Joint response from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency to the Committee’s correspondence on any unintended consequences arising from the proposed Statutory Rules that seek to commence and further implement provisions under the Reservoirs Act (Northern Ireland) 2015.
Agreed: To consider in the context of the Reservoirs delegated legislation.
Correspondence from the Committee for Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs on its ‘Call for Evidence’ on the Areas with Natural Constraints (Payments) Bill.
Agreed: To provide a nil response.
Correspondence from the Committee for the Economy’s ‘Call for Evidence’ on the Utility Regulator (Support for Decarbonisation Preparation) Bill.
Agreed: To provide a nil response.
Correspondence from the Committee for Education’s ‘Call for Evidence’ the Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill and the Irish-medium Education (Workforce Plan) Bill.
Agreed: To provide a nil response.
Correspondence from Northern Ireland Water offering an oral evidence session on its PC28 submission.
Agreed: To schedule an evidence session at a suitable date in the Forward Work Programme.
Correspondence from Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) providing a copy of market study into the supply of railway and public road infrastructure by the civil engineering sector and offering a meeting with the Chair and Deputy Chair.
Agreed: To have an informal meeting with the CMA subject to the availability of Members.
Correspondence a member of the public in relation to the Planning Appeals Commission’s public inquiry on the Curraghinalt Project (Dalradian).
Agreed: To write to the member of the public to highlight its role in terms of scrutiny of the Department for Infrastructure and to highlight that the Planning Appeals Commission falls outside of the Committee’s remit.
The Committee noted the following items of correspondence:
- Correspondence from Translink providing a quarterly update on its night-movers service; and
- Correspondence from the Department for Infrastructure to the Committee’s request on the number of businesses that are unable to move to new premises due to the lack of wastewater infrastructure.
7. SL1 – The Road Races (Eagles Rock Hill Climb) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026 - Formal Consideration
The Committee considered The Road Races (Eagles Rock Hill Climb) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026.
Agreed: The Committee was content with the proposal for the Statutory Rule.
Stephen Dunne MLA left the meeting at 11:10 am.
8. SL1 – The Road Races (Armoy Motorcycle Road Race) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026 - Formal Consideration
The Committee considered The Road Races (Armoy Motorcycle Road Race) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026.
Agreed: The Committee was content with the proposal for the Statutory Rule.
9. SL1 – The Little Victoria Street Car Park, Belfast (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026 - Initial Consideration
The Committee considered the SL1 – The Little Victoria Street Car Park, Belfast (Abandonment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026.
Agreed: To note receipt of the SL1 follow the Committee’s previous approach to handling of proposals for subordinate legislation which will issue a call for views.
10. SR 2026-102 The Road Races (Loughgall Stages Rally) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026
The Committee considered the SR 2026-102 The Road Races (Loughgall Stages Rally) Order (Northern Ireland) 2026
Agreed: The Committee was content with the Statutory Rule.
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 during the meeting.
12. Any Other Business
None.
13. Date, Time and Place of next meeting
The next Committee meeting will be on Wednesday, 23 June 2026, at 10:00 am in Room 29, Parliament Buildings.
The Committee suspended at 11:14 am.
The Committee resumed in closed session at 11:26 am with the following members present:
Present:
Mr Peter Martin MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Stephen Dunne MLA
Mr Andrew McMurray MLA
Mr Maolíosa McHugh MLA
Mr Harry Harvey MLA
Via Video Conferencing:
Mr Justin McNulty MLA
14. Legal Advice – Disclosure under the Public Interest Disclosure (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 - Assembly Legal Services
The Committee considered legal advice from Assembly Legal Services.
Agreed: To note the legal advice with no further actions.
15. Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill – Further Deliberations
The Committee considered and noted hard copies of a number of revised draft amendments.
Agreed: Amendments 1 to 6 were agreed and would be considered further when undertaking the Committee’s informal clause-by-clause scrutiny of the Bill.
The Committee noted and considered two options (7a and 7b) in respect of a proposed amendment in respect of clause 3 of the Bill.
Agreed: Amendment 7a was agreed as amended.
Agreed: To write to the Department to highlight that, in the absence of its response to the Committee’s correspondence, it intends to consider tabling a number of amendments to the Bill.
16. Planning Review - Review of Regionally Significant Developments & Judicial Reviews – Consideration of Recommendations
The Committee considered the draft Committee report on its Review of Regionally Significant Developments and Judicial Reviews.
Agreed: To further consider a revised draft report at its meeting on 24 June that reflects the areas discussed.
The meeting adjourned at 12:35 pm.
Mr Peter Martin
Chairperson, Committee for Infrastructure
24 June 2026
