AQW 3622/17-22

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 12/03/2020
Answered On Date: 31/03/2020
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure for her assessment of adding Translink to the list of organisations that are accountable to the Rural Needs Act.

Answer:

Whilst Translink is not included in the schedule to the Rural Needs Act (NI) 2016, the Department wrote to Translink on 28 February 2018, highlighting good practice to pay ‘due regard’ to rural needs and further recommended that it commits to rural proofing practices in future.

All Translink’s rural services are provided under contract to the Department for Infrastructure. As a Government Department, DfI is subject to the Rural Needs Act and takes regard to rural needs when developing, adopting, implementing or revising policies, strategies and plans, and when designing and delivering public services, including the public transport services that the Public Service Contract between DfI and Translink define. Given the Public Service Agreement signed by the Department and Translink, any changes to the level of the public transport network coverage would have to be approved by the Department and therefore be given consideration under the Act.