About The Department
The Department for Regional Development (DRD) is one of 11 Northern Ireland Departments created in 1999 by the Departments (Northern Ireland) Order 1999.
Making Contact
You can find all the relevant contact information in the Contact Us section of this Web site.
Main Responsibilities
Our main responsibilities include:
- regional strategic planning and development policy;
- transport strategy;
- public transport policy and performance;
- certain policy and support work for air and sea ports;
- policy on water and sewerage services and management of the Department’s shareholder interest in Northern Ireland Water; and
- provision and maintenance of all public roads.
Key Achievements
Over the financial year 2008-09, some of our key achievements have made a real difference to the lives of people in Northern Ireland:
- Completion of the £104million upgrade of the M1/Westlink, which will help deliver huge benefits to the local economy. The construction of two new underpasses at Broadway and Grosvenor Road junctions will ensure shorter and more reliable journey times, which will benefit all road users, including public transport, the haulage industry, as well as private car users. The Broadway underpass was the most significant milestone of the complex project and was opened to traffic on 4 July 2008, some 13 months ahead of schedule. The Minister officially opened the upgrade on 9 March 2009.
- Work on the £20 million M2 widening scheme from Sandyknowes to Greencastle was completed in May 2009. The scheme provides greater carriageway capacity on the M2 which will reduce congestion and delays and improve journey times particularly at peak times. It will also extend the life of the Hightown, Collin and Longlands Bridges.
- In March 2009 the Minister signed a £115 million contract for 20 new trains. The first batch of new trains is scheduled to be introduced to passenger service by 2011 with the final set in 2013. This will allow for further improvements on the wider rail network.
- From 1 October 2008, free travel for people aged 60-64 was introduced to provide bus and rail travel within Northern Ireland. By the end of February 2009 more than 57,000 people had applied for a free travel pass. This scheme will undoubtedly have a positive impact on older people in terms of finance and increasing mobility / accessibility.
- In November 2008, the Department published the annual Drinking Water Quality Report. The report found that there continues to be an improvement in overall compliance with samples taken from water treatment works, service reservoirs and consumers’ taps. The report shows that the overall drinking water quality for 2007 at consumers’ taps was 99.30%. This upward trend reflects the substantial investment that has been made in water and sewerage services. However, there is still room for improvement in some areas and we must not be complacent about the effort and investment needed to maintain our high standards of water quality.
- Roads Service also delivered 318 Road Safety Schemes. These include collision 40 remedial schemes, 226 traffic calming measures and 52 school travel and safety projects.
Key Strategic Challenges
Over the period of our Corporate Plan (2009-11), the Department’s key strategic challenges include:
- Delivering our Public Service Agreement targets set out in the Programme for Government 2008-11 (and shown in Annex C);
- Delivering our programme and project milestones set out in the Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland 2008-18 (and also shown in Annex C);
- Creating strategic regional development and transportation plans to facilitate and steer the growth of the whole region;
- Ensuring appropriate funding arrangements for water and sewerage services that will allow sustainable levels of investment;
- Delivering the Executive’s commitments on the Review of Public Administration as they impact on the Department’s functions;
- Building the Department’s current and future capability to deliver its objectives;
- Using the resources allocated to the Department to achieve good value for public money in delivering the objectives and targets in this Corporate and Business Plan; and
- Adapting to and playing our part in the delivery of the wider reforms of the public sector – including the Northern Ireland Civil Service.
The DRD Corporate Plan 2009-11 and Business Plan 2009-10 
Management of the Department
The Minister for Regional Development, Conor Murphy MP, MLA, has overall political responsibility and accountability for all the Department's activities. He sets the strategic policy and resources framework for the Department, which is headed by a Permanent Secretary, Paul Priestly.
Paul Priestly chairs the Departmental Board, which is a key element in the delivery of Corporate Governance within the Department. Corporate Governance is the way in which an organisation is directed and controlled. Details of all the arrangements which have been established to ensure proper and effective management of the Department's affairs are set out in a Corporate Goverance Framework (519KB)
.
The Departmental Board has a number of executive members and two non-executive independent members who ensure that executive members are supported and constructively challenged in their role. The Board meets once a month to review the Department's performance, to provide advice to the Minister and to provide corporate leadership to the organisation as a whole. The minutes of the Departmental Board are available in the Publications section of this website.
The Core Groups in the Department are:
Resources and Management Services: Responsible for personnel, finance, corporate services, internal audit, central claims, water policy and management of the Department's shareholder interest in Northern Ireland Water; and
Regional Planning and Transportation: Responsible for regional development and transport planning, public transport, air and sea ports and public transport performance.
The Department has one Executive Agency:
Roads Service: Responsible for ensuring that the public road network is managed, maintained and developed. Roads Service has a key responsibility in ensuring that measures are taken to implement the roads aspects of both the Regional Transportation Strategy for Northern Ireland 2002-12 and the Investment Strategy for Northern Ireland 2008-2018. The agency is responsible for just over 25,000 kilometres of public roads, approximately 9,000 kilometres of footways, 5,800 bridges, 263,000 streetlights and 370 public car parks.
Top of PageAim, Vision and Values
The Department's overall Aim is:
“To improve quality of life by securing transport and water infrastructure and shaping the region’s long-term strategic development.”
In pursuing this aim the key objectives of the Department are:
- Supporting the economy by maintaining and developing safe and sustainable transportation networks; promoting airport and harbour services; addressing regional imbalance in infrastructure; and shaping the long-term future of the region.
- Contributing to the health and well-being of the community and the protection of the environment by maintaining and developing the policy and regulatory environment which provides sustainable, high quality water and sewerage services.
The Department's Vision:
The vision of the Department is:
“A region with modern, safe and sustainable roads, transport and water services which improve quality of life for all.”
A number of core values underpin the culture within which the Department works to fulfil its mission. These are:
- Commitment to Delivery;
- Leadership with Purpose;
- Learning and Improving;
- Support for our People;
- Teamwork and Participation;
- Working in Partnership; and
- Professionalism and Corporate Responsibility
Resources
At 1 April 2009, DRD has a total of 2,721 employees; of these, 2,296 are deployed in the Roads Service, an Executive Agency within the Department, and 425 in policy divisions and support services in the core Department.
The Department’s Current Expenditure and Investment allocations for 2009-10 amount to £821.7m.
The Department's Role in Relation to Other Organisations
The Department has an important role in relation to each of these other separate organisations.
Northern Ireland Water
Northern Ireland Water is a Government Owned Company and the statutory water and sewerage undertaker, operating under licence and at arm’s length from central government structures. The Minister retains overall policy and political oversight and sets strategic objectives. The actual delivery of water and sewerage services is, however, the responsibility of the Company, subject to regulatory oversight by the NI Authority for Utility Regulation and environmental regulators.
The Department will invest some £335.2 million in 2008-09 to achieve higher levels of compliance with EC standards on drinking water and urban waste water treatment, as well as upgrading existing infrastructure and reducing leakage.
During 2008-09, the Department will focus on the implementation of the Executive’s decisions on the Independent Review of water and sewerage services launched in 2007. The Executive decided that new payments for businesses would be phased in from April 2008 and that additional household payments will be phased in from April 2009. The Department will work with stakeholders to ensure the new arrangements can be implemented.
Phone: Waterline 0845 744 0088
Text phone: 0845 702 3206
E-mail: customerservices@niwater.com
Website: www.niwater.com
Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (NITHCo)
22 Great Victoria Street
Belfast BT2 7LX
NITHC is a public corporation and the parent company of the publicly owned bus and rail companies in the region. These companies, Northern Ireland Railways, Ulsterbus and Citybus (trading as Metro) operate under the brand name of Translink. NITHC’s statutory duties are to manage public transport properties and to oversee the activities of Translink.
The Department provides financial assistance to Translink through the payment of grants and subsidies in accordance with Government Accounting procedures. The arrangements are governed by an agreed financial framework.
The Department is responsible for setting specific targets for NITHC and monitoring the extent to which these targets are achieved. It is also responsible for ensuring that appropriate financial and management controls are in place and that compliance with those controls is effectively monitored.
Phone: 028 9024 3456
Fax: 028 9033 1165
Website: www.translink.co.uk/nithco
Northern Ireland Trust Ports:
The Department appoints the chairmen and members of the trust ports at Belfast, Londonderry and Warrenpoint. They are appointed following a public competition and serve for a defined period. The appointments are made in line with guidance published by the office of the Commissioner of Public Appointments (Northern Ireland). The Department also appoints the Donaghadee Harbour Commissioners.
Belfast Harbour Commissioners
Corporation Square
Belfast BT1 3AL
Belfast Harbour Commissioners are responsible for the improvement, maintenance and management of the port of Belfast and the accommodation and facilities therein. The Commissioners are empowered to do so under the Belfast Harbour Order (NI) 2002.
Phone: 028 9055 4422
Fax: 028 9055 4411
E-mail: info@belfast-harbour.co.uk
Website: www.belfast-harbour.co.uk
Londonderry Port & Harbour Commissioners
Harbour office
Port Road
Lisahally
Londonderry
BT47 6FL
Londonderry Port & Harbour Commissioners are responsible for the improvement, maintenance and management of the port of Londonderry and the accommodation and facilities therein. The Commissioners are empowered to do so under the Londonderry Harbour Order (NI) 2002.
Phone: 028 7186 0555
Fax: 028 7186 1168
E-mail: info@londonderry-port.co.uk
Website: www.londonderryport.com
Warrenpoint Harbour Authority
Warrenpoint
Co. Down
BT34 3JR
Warrenpoint Harbour Authority is responsible for the improvement, maintenance and management of the port of Warrenpoint and the accommodation and facilities therein. The Commissioners are empowered to do so under the Warrenpoint Harbour Authority Order (NI) 2002.
Phone: 028 4177 3381
Fax: 028 4175 2875
E-mail: info@warrenpointharbour.co.uk
Website: www.warrenpointharbour.co.uk
