Alliance Infrastructure spokesperson Andrew Muir MLA has said he is extremely concerned after a senior civil servant said the viability of Translink was in jeopardy.

The Department for Infrastructure’s John McGrath told the Assembly’s Infrastructure Committee while the company had managed to maintain the rail and bus network, it was “running out of options” financially.

“I am extremely concerned over what the Committee were told today,” said North Down MLA Mr Muir.

“Only a few weeks ago, the Assembly declared a climate emergency. Now we are being told we are on the verge of essentially closing down the majority of the public transport network. That is not good enough and is compounded by the Department’s attitude – when asked what contingencies had been developed to resolve this situation, MLAs were told none.

“The Minister needs to act immediately and give assurances where possible to Translink employees and management, and the general public, about the future of the public transport system in Northern Ireland.

“I hope this situation is not the Department cynically scaremongering in order to deflect attention from underfunding or its failure to make the case for investment in sustainable transport, which we need to move to to maintain the long-term viability of the public transport system here.”