AQW 3549/22-27

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 26/09/2022
Answered On Date: 11/10/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure (i) when his Department knew the Strangford ferry service would not be operational after 7:45pm on 24 September 2022; and (ii) when the first public notice was issued confirming withdrawal of the ferry service.

Answer:

Officials became aware of a potential issue with the Saturday evening sailings at approximately 12:30pm on Friday 23 September 2022. My Private Office was advised at 3:41pm on Friday 23 September 2022 that it had been concluded that suspension was unavoidable.

The first public notice was issued at 4.58pm on Friday 23 September 2022 on the DfI Facebook and Twitter accounts. A few minutes later a SMS was issued to over 4000 Ferry SMS alert subscribers.