To ask the Minister for Infrastructure to detail the average length of time to action a repair request for potholes.

Article 8 of the Roads (Northern Ireland) Order 1993 places a duty on my Department to maintain all public roads in reasonable condition. We fulfil this duty by complying with a set of Maintenance Standards for Safety. These standards are designed to ensure a consistent service level across the network and safe highways for all road users.

Our current standards specify a range of response times for the repair of road defects, which depend on factors such as their severity and the volume of traffic on the road. Response times range from one calendar day for the most serious defects, to periods of five working days and four weeks for less serious defects. The least serious defects are only repaired during the next work programme for that route. If it becomes apparent that the relevant response time cannot be met, then my Department has the option of installing signs to warn road users of a possible danger.

I can assure the Member that following the allocation of funding I received for this year, I have directed officials to work to carry our repairs to our roads as quickly as possible.