To ask the Minister for Infrastructure what his Department can do to ensure that at least one route to all rural primary schools in Upper Bann is added to the gritting schedule.

The Department receives many requests each year for additions to the winter service gritting programme and for that reason, has a set of criteria so that an objective assessment is made ensuring there is a consistent approach adopted across all of the North. This ensures the best use of the limited resources available for this service.

Arrangements are in place to provide priority secondary salting to schools which are experiencing difficulties due to inaccessibility, associated with the presence of snow or ice on the adjacent road network. This generally involves treatment of the shortest route from the school to the nearest point on the salted network.

In addition, grit piles have and shall continue to be provided for people to use on a self- help basis.

Further details regarding the Department’s policy on Winter Service gritting can be found at https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/infrastructure/rsppg-ro22-winter-service-updated-march22.pdf

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