AQW 37403/22-27

Ms Connie Egan
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 12/12/2025
Answered On Date: 08/01/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure whether her Department has installed any suicide prevention measures during the 2024/25 financial year.

Answer:

As part of my Department’s work in support of the Protect Life 2 Strategy, my officials continue to engage with stakeholders, including the Mental Health Champion, the Public Health Agency, local Councils and the Cross Departmental Coordinated Action Group, to explore options for progressing suicide prevention infrastructure. The Westlink, Belfast and Foyle Bridge, Derry have been identified as prevalent suicide spots where prevention and safety infrastructure could be installed.

At the Westlink, my Department is working on a pilot to increase the height of the parapets on Clifton and Divis Street Bridges that has an estimated cost of £1.8m. These parapets would be undertaken through the development of a green living wall instead of the normal metal railings that would be more pleasing to the eye, environmentally friendly and enhance the general appearance in the area. I will be endeavouring to allocate funding in future years to try and get these schemes, that are so important for the local communities, pushed forward.

At Foyle Bridge, the proposed suicide deterrent measures include additional railings, however due to the complex nature of the structure, a detailed structural assessment must be undertaken to ensure that the bridge would be able to cope with the additional containment measures and increased wind resistance. I have now allocated funding to take forward the structural assessment of the Foyle Bridge and Departmental officials are now engaging with our consultant to progress this as soon as practicable.

I can confirm that my Department did not install any suicide prevention measures during the 2024/25 financial year but is continuing to work proactively with stakeholders to explore what we can do to support this important issue.