Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister for Infrastructure, given the outcome of the June Monitoring Round, that resulted in no additional funding for road maintenance, to detail what measures she will take to (i) ensure the safety of all road users; and (ii) protect the jobs of skilled road workers. [Priority Written]
Minister for Infrastructure: My Department places a high importance on the need to adequately maintain the road network through day-to-day essential maintenance activities such as patching, grass cutting, and also through a properly resourced programme of Structural Maintenance to maintain the structural integrity of the road network. However, funding to maintain our roads has been less than required for many years. Given the current constrained financial environment, my Department will continue to prioritise its road maintenance activities to ensure that the safety of road users is not compromised.
I am also very mindful of the impact that a reduced maintenance budget has on the wider construction industry and in particular those skilled workers that work hard on a daily basis to deliver essential road safety related activities. As such I will continue to work with my Executive colleagues in an effort to ensure that this essential work is properly funded.
ENDS
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