To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister whether their Department (i) is considering options to support asylum seekers with transport costs; and (ii) has undertaken any assessment of the findings of the Department for Infrastructure’s evaluation of the Local Links Pilot, which utilised Home Office dispersal funding to meet this need.

The Executive Office is not responsible for the provision of transport for asylum seekers; however, we facilitated the provision of Home Office dispersal funding to the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) for its Local Links Pilot. Whilst its main purpose was to support efforts to disperse asylum seekers outside of Belfast, one of the pilot’s objectives was to also inform long-term strategic planning on the needs of dispersed asylum seekers in relation to access to transport.

We are aware the of the positive outcomes within the Local Links Pilot evaluation and that DfI will use this to inform future decisions.