To ask the Minister for Infrastructure whether her Department will engage with the landowners along Loughinisland Road, Loughinisland, with a view to extending footpaths in the village.

Regrettably, a previous assessment against the competing priorities in the Newry Mourne and Down area did not rank the proposal for the extension of the footways at this location highly enough for inclusion in a works programme. My officials will undertake a fresh assessment of the location to determine if any new factors need to be taken into consideration.

Engagement with landowners would only take place if the scheme was to be prioritised within my Department’s current work programme.

My Department’s policy for setting speed limits is designed to promote consistency for motorists, ensuring that similar roads are subject to similar speed restrictions. In determining the appropriate limit, we take into account a range of factors, including the nature and characteristics of the road, prevailing traffic speeds, the extent of frontage development, and road traffic collision statistics, which are routinely monitored using data from the PSNI.

A previous assessment of the current 30mph speed limit considered it appropriate, and there are no plans for its extension at this time.