AQW 37420/22-27

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 12/12/2025
Answered On Date: 02/01/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) any risk assessment processes used by Education Transport services to determine if it is safe for Home to School transport to be delivered along a coastal route during a storm; and (ii) any contingency processes enacted to ensure all Home to School transport providers use alternative routes in coastal areas to ensure the safe carriage of pupils when coastal roads, like the A20 Portaferry Road, is experiencing the impact of severe stormy weather, making driving conditions treacherous.

Answer:

The Education Authority (EA) has advised that during periods of severe weather and in emergency situations, its transport service works alongside the EA Emergency Planning Service to maintain situational awareness and coordinate response efforts. This enables dynamic risk assessments to be carried out to reduce risk and mitigate impact. If emergency structures are activated, the EA coordinates with multi-agency partners and in terms of road safety, it acts on advice from the PSNI and Department for Infrastructure (DfI) Roads Service who have responsibility for closing roads.

Where Schools remain open during severe weather and pupils need transport, the EA collaborates with service providers such as Translink to arrange where possible for pupils to be transported home safely. Transport decisions are guided by severe weather warnings from the Met Office and road closure notifications from PSNI or DfI. If necessary, alternative routes are considered locally, but in some scenarios, transport services may be disrupted at short notice.