Committee for Infrastructure
Minutes of Proceedings - 19 November 2025
Committee for Infrastructure - 19 November 2025.pdf (201.88 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 Stephen Dunne MLA
Mr Harry Harvey MLA
Mr Andrew McMurray MLA
Via Video Conferencing:
Mr Justin McNulty MLA
Apologies:
Ms Nicola Brogan 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 10:05 am in public session.
1. Apologies
As above.
2. Declaration of Interests
None.
3. Chairperson's Business
The Chairperson drew to members' attention that it was Road Safety Week and noted the number of fatalities that had occurred in the course of this year.
The Committee wished to express its sympathy to all those who had lost loved ones on the roads over the past year.
4. Draft Minutes
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday, 12 November 2025.
Agreed: The Committee agreed the revised minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday, 5 November 2025.
Mr Justin McNulty joined the meeting at 10:14 am.
5. Matters Arising
The Committee discussed the oral evidence session provided by Departmental officials on the Consultation on Developer Contributions.
Agreed: To write to the Department to invite officials to provide further evidence that focusses on the composition of respondents and views expressed and to examine options under consideration by DfI as a way forward.
6. Correspondence
Correspondence from the Minister for Infrastructure providing a copy of the Department for Infrastructure Annual Report and Accounts 2024-2025.
Agreed: To write to the Department for Infrastructure to ascertain the nature of the expenditure of £230,522 on consultancy spending by Waterways Ireland as identified in the annual report and accounts.
Correspondence from the Committee for Finance in respect of Clause 17 of the Administrative and Financial Provisions Bill.
Agreed: To give further consideration to the issues raised during by the Committee for Finance's oral evidence on the clause at its meeting on 26 November.
Correspondence from the Committee for Finance regarding the exemption of Ports from Procurement Legislation.
Agreed: To write to the Department for Infrastructure to seek its view on the proposals for an exemption from procurement legislation for ports including whether this has any impact on the Department's own legislative proposals for Trust Ports.
Response from the Department for Transport regarding the Motor Insurance Taskforce.
Agreed: To write to the Department for Transport to request that a copy of the report is provided to the Committee when published.
Invitation from the Belfast Harbour Commission to its Stakeholder Festive Reception on 9 December 2025.
Agreed: That members would respond directly should they wish to attend.
The Committee noted the following items of correspondence:
- Update from the Department for Infrastructure for the Belfast City Centre Network Performance - November 2025;
- Copy for the Derry City and Strabane District Council Annual Report 2025;
- Copy correspondence from the Committee for Communities to the Minister for Infrastructure regarding the Sign Language Bill;
- Copy correspondence from the Committee for Communities to Translink regarding the Sign Language Bill;
- Copy correspondence from the Committee for Finance to the Department of Infrastructure to request an oral briefing from officials on the Administrative and Financial Provisions Bill, specifically Clause 17;
- Correspondence from the Committee for Finance regarding the role of the Department of Finance in relation to the Northern Ireland Civil Service;
- Correspondence from the Committee for Finance in relation to the Revised Outturn and Forecast Outturn - 2025-2026 Guidelines;
- Briefing for from the Northern Ireland Marine Taskforce regarding Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) Supporting Climate Action Plan; and
- Correspondence from a member of the public regarding the provision of services by Translink.
7. Sustainable Drainage Systems in New Housing Developments - Consultation - Department for Infrastructure - Oral Evidence
The following departmental officials joined the meeting at 10:26 am.
- Mr Simon Richardson, Director of Sustainable Drainage, Department for Infrastructure;
- Mr Stuart Wightman, Programme Manager, Sustainable Drainage Directorate, Department for Infrastructure; and
- Mrs Marie Louise Wise, Sustainable Drainage Directorate, Department for Infrastructure.
The evidence session was reported by Hansard.
A question and answer session followed.
Agreed: To write to the Department for Infrastructure to seek further detail on how hard sustainable drainage systems function and illustrative examples of the functions of detention vs attenuation ponds
The departmental officials left the meeting at 11:41 am.
The Committee suspended at 11:41 am.
The Committee recommenced at 11:52 am with the following members present:
Mr Peter Martin MLA (Chairperson)
Mr John Stewart MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Cathal Boylan MLA
Mr Stephen Dunne MLA
Mr Harry Harvey MLA
Mr Andrew McMurray MLA
Via Video Conferencing: Mr Justin McNulty MLA
8. Living with Water in Derry/Londonderry Plan - Consultation - Next Steps - Department for Infrastructure - Oral Evidence
The following departmental officials joined the meeting at 11:52 am.
- Mr Simon Richardson, Director of Sustainable Drainage, Department for Infrastructure;
- Mr Stuart Wightman, Programme Manager, Sustainable Drainage Directorate, Department for Infrastructure; and
- Mrs Marie Louise Wise, Sustainable Drainage Directorate, Department for Infrastructure.
The evidence session was reported by Hansard.
A question and answer session followed.
The departmental officials left the meeting at 12:33 pm.
9. Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill
The Committee discussed the recent briefing from the Examiner of Statutory Rules regarding the delegated powers in the Water, Sustainable Drainage, and a number of response to the call for evidence.
Agreed: To write to the Department seeking clarification on a number of matters arising from the oral briefing from the Examiner of Statutory Rules.
The Committee noted a number of items of correspondence in response to its Call for Evidence from:
- Committee for Health
- Committee for the Economy
- Committee for Justice
- Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs;
- Committee for Communities; and
- The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
Agreed: To write to the Department for Infrastructure seeking its response to the issues raised by the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Committee for Communities in respect of the Bill.
Agreed: To publish the responses on the Committee webpage and include in the meeting papers for 10 December 2025.
10. Strategic Planning 2024-27
Agreed: The Committee noted and agreed its revised Strategic Plan for 2024-27.
11. Subordinate Legislation - SRs Not Subject to Assembly Procedure
The Committee noted the following Statutory Rule, which is not subject to Assembly Proceedings:
- SR 2025-174 The Parking and Waiting Restrictions (Derry-Londonderry) (Amendment No. 3) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025.
Agreed: To note the Statutory Rule.
12. 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 Roads (Speed Limit) (No. 4) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025.
Agreed: To note the proposal for the Statutory Rule.
13. 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.
14. Any Other Business
None.
15. Date, Time and Place of next meeting
The next meeting will be on Wednesday, 26 November 2025 at 10:00 am in Room 29, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:40 pm.
Mr Peter Martin
Chairperson, Committee for Infrastructure
26 November 2025
