To ask the Minister for Infrastructure whether his Department could request the Drainage Council to consider a flood defence scheme at the Strangford Lough coastline of the Ards Peninsula, to protect the homes and businesses of the upper Ards Peninsula from being cut off from essential services.

My Department has developed the 2nd Cycle Flood Risk Management Plan (FRMP) 2021 -2027 which has highlighted the most significant areas of risk in the North from rivers, the sea and surface water. The Ards Peninsula has not been identified, through that work, as an area of potentially significant flood risk and there are presently no plans to carry out any additional works in this area.

However, my officials have worked with partner organisations to develop a coastal flooding emergency response plan to detail the arrangements for a co-ordinated multi-agency emergency response to anywhere coastal flooding may occur here.