To ask the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to outline the measures she is taking to mitigate flooding in East Antrim.

Mrs O'Neill

My Department is planning to deliver culvert upgrading works in the East Antrim area, costing over £150,000, over the next 12 months. In addition, Rivers Agency will continue to carry out maintenance to designated watercourses to ensure that they are free-flowing and are performing their drainage function. Designated open watercourses are inspected routinely, with those benefiting rural areas typically being on a six-year rolling inspection programme and urban watercourses being inspected and maintained annually. Where a designated watercourse has been culverted, it is inspected on a three-year cycle. In addition, culvert inlet grilles are inspected and maintained on a frequent basis, many of them weekly. Additional grille inspections are undertaken when heavy rainfall is forecast and after flood events, as debris can often be carried downstream by high river flows, which can cause obstructions. We are also drafting flood risk management plans for the north eastern river basin district, which will set out a range of objectives and measures to reduce the risk of flooding from all significant sources.

Mrs O'Neill

Rivers Agency has been very proactive, particularly in working with the Met Office. It signed an agreement recently with the Met Office on forward planning for the impact of climate change. The map systems that we have can always be improved. We are in a better position with the maps, which is the result of a collective effort and will hopefully improve things. Rivers Agency is obviously very focused on the fact that we have a different climate. We have seen extreme weather, such as the snow in March almost two years ago and the extreme flooding that occurs within an hour's notice. That is obviously factored into the Rivers Agency's work programme and its maintenance work and is part of its business plan.

Mr Milne

Go raibh maith agat, a Phríomh-LeasCheann Comhairle. How does the Minister prioritise funding for flood alleviation projects?

Mrs O'Neill

Each area is considered on its own merit, and funding for projects across the North is prioritised on the basis of the level of risk posed to people and property, the associated costs and the benefits of the project to the alleviation of flooding. Given the economic climate, we are always trying to look at where we can get the best value for the investment. Rivers Agency takes that forward in a constructive and structured way, but basically it boils down to prioritising on the level of risk to property and the associated costs and benefits that can be derived from that investment.

Dr McDonnell

I thank the Minister for her answers, particularly regarding flooding in East Antrim. What initiatives are being undertaken to deal with the watercourses in south Belfast that lead to persistent flooding in Finaghy, Lisburn Road and across south Belfast in general?

Mrs O'Neill

I have spoken to the Member about this before at Question Time, so he will be aware that there is a cross-departmental working group in place to look at south Belfast. My Department plays a key role in that and knows what it needs to do. I have visited south Belfast and met residents to discuss the problems that we have. In the past, additional members of staff were employed to deal with the issues, and we increased inspections of the grilles because there were problems with debris and so on. Hopefully, that will assure the Member that Rivers Agency is playing its role in tackling the problems faced by people in south Belfast.