30 September 2025
Leader of the SDLP Opposition Matthew O'Toole MLA has called on the Finance Minister John O'Dowd MLA to come clean on how much of the money allocated to the A5 dual carriageway project risks being lost this year as a result of bungled planning failures when he was Infrastructure Minister.
During Assembly questions today, O'Toole pressed the Minister to explain how much of the £180 million capital allocated to the A5 in this year's Budget (2025-26) will have to be reallocated, given that delays to the project mean it cannot now be spent.
The Minister was unable to provide clarity on how much, if any, of the A5 allocation will now go unspent. Under budget rules, unspent capital funding - known as "reduced requirements" - must be surrendered to the Department of Finance. Despite the vast sums involved, and the strong likelihood that the money cannot be spent within this financial year, the Minister failed to set out what will happen to the funding.
As the allocation is classified as capital, it cannot simply be repurposed for everyday spending such as salaries or public services, meaning that without clarity or action the money risks being lost altogether.
Matthew O'Toole MLA said:
"Earlier this year, nearly £180 million was allocated to move this road forward. Yet today, the Finance Minister could not tell us how much of that money risks being lost because of the delays and failures that originated under his watch as Infrastructure Minister.
"When you are dealing with a project of this scale and a budget of this size, vague assurances simply aren't enough. The public deserve clear answers on whether the money set aside for the A5 can and will be protected, or whether it will be handed back unused.
"Anything less is a dereliction of duty. It is not acceptable for the Minister to hide behind process while families in the North West continue to wait for a road that should have been delivered long ago.
"This isn't about political point-scoring, it's about transparency and accountability. The A5 has been endlessly delayed, but the Finance Minister should at least be able to give people clarity on what is happening with their money. He owes them that much at least."