Minister Mallon welcomes support for increased infrastructure investment for Stormont

Date published: 26 November 2021

Minister Mallon said: “It is no surprise that Sir Peter Hendy has confirmed that the costs of a tunnel or a bridge between Northern Ireland and Scotland would be impossible to justify. It is completely sensible that no further work will be taken forward on that proposal and that the Review has rightly turned to the many more pressing infrastructure needs for our people, as I had asked Sir Peter Hendy to do.

“The report recognises that we have suffered decades of underinvestment in our public transport, that we have much less rail than elsewhere across these islands and that in turn we have an over reliance on the private car. This is something that we all can see first-hand and it needs to be addressed so that we can provide sustainable transport options, help to reduce emissions and tackle climate change. I therefore welcome many of the recommendations that the Review report has made. I look forward to the focus of the British Government now being on providing the funding, as recommended in the report, to deliver the projects needed to address this legacy. Funding for improved transport infrastructure; funding for enhanced connections to our regional gateways; and funding to support the findings from the All Island Strategic Rail Review that I am undertaking with Minster Eamon Ryan.

“My officials and I will study the Review report further and I hope to meet with the British Government soon to understand how and when this vital funding will be provided to enable the transformation our infrastructure crucially requires.”