To ask the Minister for Infrastructure (i) why the decision was made to close road service operations and maintenance transport hubs, on a temporary basis, in the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area; (ii) how long these closures will last; and (iii) whether the decision underwent rural proofing to ensure the temporary closure of services will not adversely impact local communities.

Staff resourcing at industrial grade has been a recurring issue within my department, with my Operations and Maintenance teams witnessing a significant reduction in staff complement over a sustained period.

Consequently, issues with recruitment and retention have made it difficult to maintain an industrial presence across all of my Department’s depots in the North. To address these issues, an internal review was completed to temporarily adjust the geographical spread and make best use of available resources, stabilising and securing the service delivery of core functions, whilst maintaining our health and safety obligations.

As an outworking of this review, routine services previously provided from Ballymoney depot have been temporarily transferred to the Northbrook Depot in Coleraine. Ballymoney depot will still provide an out of hours function, such as winter and emergency services.

The outworkings of the stabilisation review, which were subject to rural proof screening, seek to maintain a level of service for the next 12 to 18 months dependent on staff recruitment and retention.