To ask the Minister for Infrastructure whether her Department has carried out an Equality Impact Assessment in relation to the plans to remove on-street pay and display parking machines.

A Section 75 Equality Screening exercise was carried out in relation to the Pay and Display Rationalisation Programme and was published on my Department’s website on 21 May 2026 at the following link https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/publications/parking-enforcement-pay-display-pd-rationalisation-programme-screening-form.

The screening exercise considered the potential impact of the programme across all Section 75 categories and concluded that a full Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) was not required.

The new parking Enforcement Contract is expected to deliver approximately £6.3m in savings over its 10-year term through a combination of modern technology, improved equipment specifications, revised service delivery arrangements, and wider operational efficiencies with the Pay and Display programme contributing through the modernisation of parking infrastructure and associated operational processes. My Department’s approach is not to remove machines without careful consideration, but to ensure that on-street parking infrastructure is located where it is most needed whilst replacing equipment that has reached the end of its operational life. Decisions on machine provision have been taken on a location-by-location basis, informed by usage levels, accessibility considerations, footfall, and street layout, to ensure that parking services remain both practical and proportionate.

The new machines will introduce pay-by-plate technology to support modern payment and enforcement processes not available on the existing machines. A 54% reduction in machine numbers is also expected to contribute to maintenance and repair efficiencies alongside lower cash collection activity, and improved enforcement processes.

My Department will continue to monitor the operational and financial benefits realised as the programme is implemented.

(AQW 47939/22-27);

The Department does not hold the information in the format requested. However, details of expenditure and income associated with the delivery of all enforcement and car parking services in each of the last five financial years, from 2021-22 to 2025-26, as reported in the DfI Annual Report and Accounts is set out in the table below.

* Note: Figures for 2025-26 are provisional and subject to external audit