The capital investment, according to Stormont Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd, is “vital,”

The minister for Sinn Féin stated: “My department's budgetary restrictions and a decade of Tory cuts and austerity have unfortunately resulted in a significant shortfall of the original capital commitment needed to maintain the road network to the requisite quality.”

“I recently spoke to the Assembly to announce that an additional £1 million will be provided to target high-priority regions with small-scale resurfacing programmes. These programmes are intended to restore places that have been most severely damaged and where localised repairs are less successful.”

“I can today declare that my department's structural maintenance plan will get an extra £8.1 million in funding, allowing us to carry out more resurfacing projects and keep improving the state of our road network.”

“A reallocation within my department and new cash from the Executive have combined to make this investment possible.”

“Work will start immediately on the planning and delivery of these new schemes.”