Roads network faces biggest funding crisis in 25 years

The committee was also told there is a clear correlation between lack of road maintenance and increased vehicle damage claims.

Mark H Durkan MLA described the picture as “scary” as things are bad now and the forecast is “even worse” with a “perfect storm” brewing.

Mark Quigley from MPA NI told him the sector is at the point now where it has “nowhere to go”.

He said: “There will most certainly be job losses coming in November, coming into Christmas, I can’t over-emphasise that.”

Officials from the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) were also presenting to the committee.

Colin Woods from DfI said they can give the sector “no confidence” that there will be more funding post November as the department is relying on October monitoring round to have additional funding.

He said: “We know that we are investing less than the network requires to keep it in the right condition and this is the essence of the budget challenges that the department and the minister have been grappling with for a number of years.”