Ms Armstrong has said: “The Portaferry Road is a lifeline for the Ards Peninsula. Thousands rely on it daily, from commuters to schoolchildren, to carers and local businesses. This vital route is uniquely vulnerable when storms coincide with high tides.

“Recent storms have once again exposed the fragility of this road and the gaps in our response systems. Take Storm Bram, for example, which saw a school bus travelling along the A20 become engulfed by waves. This was entirely avoidable.

“We are clearly living with the consequences of climate change that put pressure on our coastal infrastructure, yet the Executive has still not agreed the third Climate Change Adaptation Programme. That delay has real consequences for the communities who rely on roads like the A20.

“We must now have clarity from the Department for Infrastructure on three key points. Firstly, what proactive system is in place to ensure that the A20 is closed before conditions become dangerous. Secondly, how communication between relevant agencies, including the PSNI, schools, and local media, can be improved and better coordinated. And thirdly, what contingency plans exist for signposting the internal Peninsula route as a safe alternative.

“This is an issue of not just infrastructure, but public safety, community confidence, and the basic expectation that government agencies work together when lives are at risk. The people of the Ards Peninsula deserve better than uncertainty and party politicking when their safety is on the line.”