To ask the Minister for Infrastructure (i) what area of his budget the £8.5 million compensation paid out in 2022-23 to the public for damage caused by defects in the public road network is allocated from; and (ii) to detail his plans to fix the road network to prevent damage and save compensation costs.

(i) Compensation paid to the public for damage caused by defects on the public road network is paid from my Department’s Resource budget.

(ii) My Department has been operating in a difficult financial position for a number of years due to underfunding and austerity by the British Government. In response, my Department has had to reduce its routine road maintenance activities to a limited service, which prioritises delivery of essential services for maintaining public safety and protecting the transport network. Consequently, only the highest priority defects across the network are currently being repaired. The level of repairs that can be carried out in any financial year depends on the funding available to my Department. Until such times as sufficient funding is made available, it will not be possible to change the current level of service. The value of our infrastructure cannot be overstated, and I will continue to work with Executive colleagues to ensure appropriate investment is made.