To ask the Minister for Infrastructure, with reference to the oral evidence session on the Inquiry into Road Openings by Utilities at the Public Accounts Committee evidence session, held on 11 December 2025, to detail; (i) the 400 roles brought in by her Department, broken down by geographical area; (ii) to detail the roles that the potential 850 newly recruited people would fill; and (iii) when her Department expects to have recruited the full cohort of required roles.

The Department for Finance (DoF) is responsible for recruitment across the NICS. As such:

My Department does not hold the information requested. However, it is worth clarifying that it was 400 people brought into DfI, the majority of which were to fill existing vacancies during that period, not new roles;

My officials are working with DoF colleagues to progress 41 recruitment competitions. These are across all DfI business areas covering the wide range of roles and disciplines in the Department;

While I am keen to have as many vacancies across DfI filled as soon as possible, progress on recruitment activity is contingent upon the capacity of DoF and their delivery partners, HRConnect.