AQW 39998/22-27

Ms Connie Egan
Alliance Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 06/02/2026
Answered On Date: 11/03/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail any actions her Department has taken to adapt the infrastructure of coastal towns and villages, to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Answer:

I am, along with the Minister for Environment, Agriculture and Rural Affairs, co-chair of the Coastal Forum. When the Forum last met, in November 2025, good progress had been and the coastal forum working group will produce a stocktake report on the current work programme and make recommendations for the 2026-2031 work programme. This will provide an opportunity to set priorities for the next five years and consider new work areas. My department also inspects and assesses the impact of coastal erosion on the public road network, including its sea walls and other coastal infrastructure where it meets the coastline and will make use of any relevant information from the LiDAR survey.

Where coastal erosion or flooding impacts directly on key infrastructure such as roads, railways and the Department’s sea defences, these assets are managed through a programme of regular inspection and appropriate maintenance. The Department’s responsibilities for coastal management are limited to approximately 110 km of defences for coastal roads, 26 km of coastal sea defences, two tidal barriers and around 34 km of sea defences protecting the railway network, which are maintained as necessary to ensure safe operation and to mitigate, where practicable, the impacts of climate change.