The Public Accounts Committee says the burden of maintenance costs associated with over 50,000 road openings and reinstatements that take place annually should be shared with the utilities
An Assembly Committee has issued a warning that tens of thousands of road openings conducted annually by utility firms may be playing a role in the decline of Northern Ireland’s road infrastructure.
The Public Accounts Committee has voiced concerns that the Department for Infrastructure is presently unable to establish the expenses associated with these repairs or offer guarantees that taxpayers aren’t footing the bill for related upkeep activities.
In its Report on Road Openings by Utilities, the Committee says that the financial responsibility for maintenance linked to more than 50,000 road openings and repairs taking place each year ought to be distributed between the utilities.
Nevertheless, the Committee has expressed serious concern that it has not been given assurances that this cost-sharing is happening.
Utility providers deliver vital services including gas, electricity and communications, and undertake essential maintenance on their networks. When such work requires opening up roads and pavements, they bear responsibility for restoring them to an acceptable condition for public use.
As part of its investigation into this matter, representatives from the Department for Infrastructure (which monitors utility company performance) provided testimony to the Public Accounts Committee.
In its findings, PAC has put forward a total of 11 recommendations it wishes to see actioned. The Committee asserts that frequent and repeated road openings can undermine the road structure and contribute to the network’s degradation over time.
Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Daniel McCrossan MLA stated: “Of course there are other causes of defects that the Department is required to repair across the entire network.
“However, when we spoke to officials they couldn’t set out a reliable way of calculating how much of that burden arose from deterioration of the road network linked specifically to utility reinstatements.
“As a result, they couldn’t reassure us that taxpayers were not subsidising repairs that should be properly funded by utility companies.
“We are recommending that by the early Autumn, the Department develops a methodology to determine the cost of maintenance linked specifically to utility reinstatements – and uses it to determine if its cost recovery approach is appropriate and achieving value for money.
“Within a year, we also want to see the Department undertake a full evaluation of the costs and benefits of introducing performance-related financial penalties for utilities.”
The Committee concluded that the state of disrepair of the road network was entirely unacceptable. It pointed to a 2024 Northern Ireland Audit Office finding that more than £3.3 billion worth of maintenance work remained outstanding.
In its findings, PAC highlighted that the disruption stemming from utility works had a considerable impact on motorists and local residents. It pointed to inconsistent contractor conduct, alongside inadequate communication and ambiguous accountability, all of which added to the upheaval and uncertainty faced by households and commercial enterprises.
The Committee expressed its desire to see a significant enhancement in how DfI collected, examined and addressed public complaints – and urged that reporting systems should be straightforward, easy to access and widely publicised.
Deputy Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Tom Buchanan MLA said they were also demanding immediate measures to reinstate a robust inspection scheme by the Department. He stated: “Visual inspection targets have been missed consecutively for seven years. Effective inspections are essential in ensuring reinstatement works are completed to the required standard and defects identified early.
“Another issue has been the suspension of the core testing programme – which can identify defects beneath the road surface. This represents a serious risk.
“Our report also recommends the Department publishes a wider range of performance data from utilities. More transparent and specific reporting would help drive improvements, shine a light on poor performers and give the public greater confidence that issues are being addressed.
“Within the next 12 months we want to see a detailed action plan published which sets out how the data gathered will be used to support decision making and actions.”
The Committee has also requested that a review of warranties relating to reinstatements be conducted within the next six months – to ensure they safeguard public funds.
Warranties are designed to protect taxpayers from short-term expenses resulting from substandard reinstatements – however, PAC believes the current two or three year warranty periods are inadequate.
PAC praised the Department’s innovative digital mapping and AI initiative, which it stated could in future revolutionise how road conditions are assessed and defects are identified – and it acknowledged the benchmarking work being undertaken with the Highways Authority and Utilities Committee (HAUC UK).
The Committee noted that the Department’s capacity to manage road openings by utilities had been hampered by substantial recruitment and retention difficulties, particularly in professional and technical positions. It recognised the Department’s efforts to innovate in workforce development but stated the challenges were system-wide and required coordinated, cross-departmental action.
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