Funding of £18m has been allocated for infrastructure projects as part of a wider £129m investment, Northern Ireland Finance Minister John O'Dowd has announced.

An amount of £15m will go towards the Department for Infrastructure's Urban Drainage proposal to fund a pilot project for transforming the way in which rainwater is managed in our towns and cities.

Meanwhile, £3m has been allocated for the Department for Infrastructure's Transforming Planning proposal to help the Planning Appeals Commission address its resource issues through making improvements in the planning system. 

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The rest of the £129m total funding will be used for transformative projects across healthcare, special educational needs and justice departments.

Discussing the funding, which will be provided over a five-year period, Finance Minister O'Dowd said: "This funding will make a real difference improving health outcomes for citizens, supporting children with special educational needs and funding initiatives in our justice system. It will also support infrastructure projects to address pressure on our constrained drainage and wastewater infrastructure and improvements in the planning system which is central to economic growth."

The funding is part of the £235 million provided by the UK Government specifically for public sector transformation as part of the financial package to restore the Executive.