Gordon Lyons
East Antrim · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“Implementing other recommendations will require further legislation that, I trust, will come in the next mandate, but I can confirm that 60 of the recommendations have already been separately addressed by either the Department or the commission. I hope that that answers his questions.”
“Yes, I do and am happy to share those. The issue has been raised in the Chamber and through Assembly questions. My position is that we want to make it simple and straightforward for people.”
“They also introduce greater flexibility in financial reporting, allowing requirements to be tailored more appropriately, reducing burdens on smaller organisations and ensuring that the system can adapt over time through secondary legislation.”
“If they want to constitute as a Northern Ireland-only charity, they are able to do that, if they believe that that will bring certain benefits.”
“That is similar to what we are trying to do with trustees. Even though you leave your position as a trustee or your position as someone who holds an office in a charity or who has employment in the office, the commissioner will still be able to make a determination that says, "Even though you have left, we are still making this order to t…”
“I do not believe that it was. That was maybe picked up wrong. We are happy to look at and explore that, but that is the information that I have on it. Again, we will have the Committee Stage of the legislation, so we can look into that then.”
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“It is interesting that it has been confirmed that there is great division in the Alliance Party on the issue. Of course, it is clear, and I am very clear, that at no stage have I ever done anything that would confer a personal benefit on myself. That is very different from what is being proposed by the Alliance Party and the SDLP. That is clear for everybody to see.”
“Obviously, it is up to the Alliance Party and the SDLP to say whether they support the action that is proposed by their councillors. Perhaps they will intervene and let us know that at some stage. However, in relation to the Member's specific question on the code of conduct, I highlight the fact that councillors are elected members, and, on taking up office after an election, they sign a declaration that says that they will observe the Northern Ireland local government code of conduct. That code provides:”
“The National Association of Councillors is a representative body. It is not a trade union, as its members are not employees. As councillors are not employees, they cannot go on strike, but they may elect not to perform their duties.”
“I had a great opportunity to meet the fleadh organisers, and they were very keen to stress how they want the fleadh to emphasise musical ability and talents from right across Northern Ireland. There has already been engagement with the Ulster-Scots Agency around that, and I hope that it can be a celebration of music from all backgrounds and traditions.”
“The fund is open to everybody. It is not about anybody's identity or background. It is about music. That is what we are trying to promote.”
“Yes, I can. I thank the Member for meeting me about that and sharing some of her concerns about deadlines. As a result of her intervention and that of others, we have looked at this and we will make sure that the fund will be on a rolling basis so that those deadlines do not interrupt the bookings that some bands will want to make. <BR /> <BR />It is good that the fund is in place. We were recently at an event in Carrickfergus where marching bands came from the United States and put on a fantastic show for us. I want people from outside Northern Ireland to be able to benefit from the talents of our bands and musicians. The fund is one way in which we can help them to do that.”
“The agency provides ongoing opportunities for bands through major events such as Belfast International Tattoo, as well as support for bands through mentoring and capacity building.”
“Funding delivered by the Arts Council on behalf of my Department supports musicians through various programmes, with an investment from my Department of £750,000 for 2025-26. The musical instruments programme provides three strands of support for various groups and individuals. With an investment of £100,000 from my Department, the travel awards for bands programme will help bands with travel costs and promote music making and player development and complement the musical instruments for bands programme. The Ulster-Scots Agency has supported marching bands in Northern Ireland in 2025 by providing grants of £121,000 to 69 bands for community tuition and £12,300 to 46 schools for band-related tuition.”
“Those are not under my remit, but my Department is leading on the shaping sustainable places policy. Consultation on that ended earlier this week. Under the current proposals, all settlements, regardless of population size, will be eligible for investment. We have heard from Members across the House about the lack of vires that I have in relation to smaller settlements, and this is hopefully a way in which we can rectify that.”
“Robust procedures are in place to make sure that those buildings are looked after. My big concern is that there is often not the funding, either from the Government or the owners, to make sure that we preserve them. I am keen to emphasise that regeneration does not mean that everything has to be new. Use of existing and old buildings can play a very important role in the revitalisation of towns, cities and rural areas. I will certainly play my part in making sure that that can happen.”
“That fund will be open to all community organisations across Northern Ireland that are in need of renovations or improvements. I look forward to updating the House about that soon and announcing the next steps. Certainly, it will be of benefit to rural and urban communities. As to engagement with the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, there have been meetings with officials on it. I have spoken to the AERA Minister and would welcome further engagement, because he and I should work together to make sure that we deliver for rural communities.”
“Under the policy that I have just outlined, we have had improvements to the Belleek marina walkways, construction of a multi-use games area (MUGA) in Rosslea, refurbishment of an Orange hall in Derrygonnelly and renovations at Belcoo Enterprise Centre, and refurbishment of the recreation centre in Castlecaulfield is under way.”
“My Department's regeneration policy focus is on urban settlements with a population of 5,000 or more, whereas rural villages and towns with populations of under 5,000 fall within the remit of DAERA. However, my Department has been leading on the delivery of the COVID recovery small settlements regeneration programme, which was part-funded by DFI and DAERA. It is delivering over 100 projects in small settlements across Northern Ireland, representing a total investment of almost £29 million.”
“Absolutely. We are beginning a process of engaging with clubs that were not successful at this stage so that we can, first of all, give feedback on the assessment and, then, talk about next steps, some of the immediate needs that they have, what other funding sources might be available and the plans that we have moving forward. I emphasise the words "at this stage" because I want all clubs to see their need met and this to move forward.”
“The Member will be aware that there has been extensive engagement through the House and through the Committee. I have updated Executive colleagues at the appropriate times, and I will meet the Minister of Finance next week to discuss these matters further. However, it is under my remit as Communities Minister, and, with Executive approval in place since 2011 for the Minister to take forward such a scheme, I do not require Executive approval. However, I will, of course, keep Executive colleagues updated. Of course, it went through the proper processes, with everything going to the appropriate Departments to get those assurances.”
“Yes, that is absolutely the case. I believe that we should proceed on the basis of fairness and what was put in place through the arrangements in 2011. He is right. Unfortunately, the UK Government have moved outside of what was agreed previously, and, therefore, football and rugby are now behind when it comes to the funding that has been made available to them. That will need to be remedied.”
“There is certainly a need in football, and, when questioned, officials were answering directly about the football fund. I have always said that we need more money for sport across Northern Ireland. One reason why I brought forward the Olympic legacy fund is that I realised that, outside the three main sports, many sports do not feel that they are getting the funding that they deserve. I am putting a proportion towards that so that those needs can, I hope, be partially met, but I will always be an advocate for more money for sport in Northern Ireland.”
“I want to see sporting need met in all areas of Northern Ireland. Importantly, I want to make sure that the £36·2 million that has been waiting for many years can be spent. There has been a degree of over-planning so that, if some of the clubs fall out because they are not ready to proceed at that stage, we will still have the funding available so that some can proceed, and we can get the money spent. However, I recognise that there is a need for additional funding for sport in Northern Ireland, and I will certainly make the case for it.”
“I will meet the Minister of Finance next week to discuss investment in sports facilities. I will, however, continue to make the case at Executive level for improved funding for my Department so that it can provide better services across all its activities, including sport.”
“We need to make sure that we have a system in place that does what it is meant to do, is accurate and in which people can have confidence, and that is what I want to achieve.”
“I will certainly take those points on board. This incident was slightly different, however, in that extra information was provided. I will need to check the processes to make sure that those who were supposed to get the information that was sent elsewhere can get it. If the Member is hearing about individual issues, I am content to look at them. I would be surprised, however, if the Department were to take a heavy-handed approach to one piece of correspondence that has not come through. Often, people repeatedly say that they have not got letter after letter, which sometimes stretches credibility. Of course, if the Member knows of specific instances that he wants me to look at, I am more than happy to do so.”
“As I outlined in my original answer, a process is in place that will mean that the sharing of such documents is not left to one person. There is meant to be a checking process in place. Unfortunately, due to human error, that did not take place in this instance, and that is why the mistake happened. I hope that it will not happen again. In conjunction with the Department's data protection officer, a compliance audit will be done to see what, if any, improvements can be made to our data-handling approach. As I said earlier, the learning from that will be shared across teams to see where improvements in data-handling can be made.”
“I am always happy to take the Member's advice on these things, but we are also guided by the approach of and guidance given by the ICO. That is what we are following in this instance. I am more than happy to hear from her if she has any alternative views on that, but that is the information that I have been given, and that is the approach that we are following.”
“The Department for Communities has over a million customers, some of whom receive correspondence monthly or even more often than that. That gives some indication of the millions of pieces of correspondence that we send out in a year. I have been informed that the number of major breaches in a year numbers under 20 and that referrals to the Information Commissioner's Office are required only once or twice a year. I am not sure what the exact maths is on that, but 20 breaches out of millions of documents sent out is a relatively small proportion. However, that does not mean that we are complacent. As I said in my opening response, one is too many, and we will take all the steps that we can to make sure that the process is more secure.”
“Yes, of course. Training and procedures are in place so that something like this should not happen. Unfortunately, it has happened, which is why we are going to put those extra steps in place. In conjunction with the Department's data protection officer, the compliance audit will be initiated as a matter of urgency. That will take a few weeks to complete, but it is important that we do that and share the learning not only within the individual team involved but with everybody.”
“First, it is important to note that that distress has not occurred because of what I outlined in response to the previous question. The information is not disclosed, but we understand the potential for distress, especially if what is considered to be sensitive information is leaked. We want to do everything that we can to make sure that this does not happen again. <BR /> <BR />The error here was not in payments made; rather, information was disclosed that should not have been. Of course, we will take all steps that we can to be as transparent about this as possible. That is why I am here today answering the questions and, hopefully, giving people confidence that we will learn from this and put measures in place so that it does not happen again.”
“We have not had any correspondence with the people whose correspondence and data was shared in error. It has been agreed not to do so as the information that was disclosed is not sensitive and that to advise the data subjects may cause unnecessary or disproportionate distress. That is line with the approach outlined in the ICO's guidance.”
“It is expected that that will take four to six weeks to complete, after which learning will be shared across teams to identify areas where improvements to data handling processes can be made.”
“My Department continues to work through its established data incident reporting process, and I can advise that, as part of the major incident reporting process, officials will contact the ICO to close the case with it, given that the information has been retrieved and that the information disclosed is not likely to present a high risk to the data subjects. <BR /> <BR />All PIP staff have been advised of the incident. There will be renewed focus on the control measures that are in place and on the importance of the security of personal customer information. In addition, in conjunction with the Department's data protection officer, a compliance audit will be initiated as a matter of urgency on the personal independence payment centre's document handling approach.”
“First, I fully acknowledge that even one incident in which personal data is compromised is unacceptable and can have a serious impact on the individuals involved. In this case, investigations by my officials have determined that the breach was due to human error. It has been established that, in this instance, checks to verify that outgoing mail is directed to the correct address and that each envelope contains only the pertinent information for the designated customer were not completed fully. The data in question was retrieved promptly, a data protection incident was raised, and an early referral was made to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) while the investigations were under way.”
“I agree with that, but does the Member agree that, at the same time, we need to be honest about the impact that immigration is having? I agree that we need to tackle misinformation, as I said in my closing remarks. Does the Member agree, however, that, when people claim that immigration and the actions of Mears, for example, have no impact on areas, that also causes problems? Often, when people seek to deny that a problem exists when it does exist, that increases the frustration that is felt by many people who have concerns. They are not driven to take violent action, but they have concerns that need to be understood.”
“However, I hope that we can unite on the need to condemn all the sectarian and racist attacks and work together to make sure that we improve the outlook for the future.”
“Some of those views I agree with and some of them I take issue with, but I hope that the one message that can go out this evening is that we are committed to tackling the scourge of violence and intimidation and that we can also air our views on these issues. I hope that we have the freedom to do so, because, in trying to shut down debate and limit conversation about these issues, we are only contributing to some of the issues that we are facing. A lack of information out there can lead to some of the problems that we have seen. Being open, honest and forthright with people will help us as we seek to deal with some of these issues. Trying to shut down conversation and limit people from having their say is never a good approach. Therefore, I welcome some of the comments that have been made by my colleagues on this issue.”
“I will continue to call for more investment in new social and affordable homes, including community work to build relations between our communities, and it is vital that funding be prioritised by the Executive to support that work. I will continue to take action alongside Executive colleagues and with other partners to address those issues and ensure that, in line with our PFG commitment, everyone has access to affordable, sustainable and quality houses that meet their needs within thriving and inclusive communities. <BR /> <BR />There has been a significant debate this evening, with wide-ranging views expressed.”
“I understand that the local PSNI community team is also engaged, and I am grateful for the work that Clanmil is doing to support its tenants and to ensure that they have a safe place to call home. <BR /> <BR />As an Executive, our Departments are working closely on these issues. My officials participate in the Department of Justice's community safety network, and that is an element of the community safety framework, so there is ongoing and proactive engagement on how we can work together more effectively to keep people safe from appalling intimidation. I am also keen to introduce legislation to more effectively tackle antisocial behaviour in our communities. The proposal for changes to legislation was part of a joint consultation with the Department of Justice, so there is also active collaboration and engagement in this policy area.”
“<BR /> <BR />I also visited the housing development in Alloa Street in north Belfast just before Christmas last year, and it was evident to me that those new homes changed the lives of residents and created a place for them to put down roots in the local community. We were all horrified to hear that residents in that development were being threatened and that their homes, which have received significant public investment, have been damaged. The recent news that that has surfaced again is, of course, extremely concerning. I condemn those attacks, and I can assure the House that my officials continue to keep in contact with Clanmil, the landlord for those properties, and the relevant statutory partners, including the Housing Executive.”
“I would welcome further funding from the successor programme to T:BUC for the Department's Housing for All shared housing programme. It now supports 12 housing associations working across 85 developments, totalling 2,925 homes delivered or in development. That programme makes a substantial contribution to building good relations in our society through building shared communities. <BR /> <BR />I visited an on-site Housing for All development in Cushendall last week and visited the children in two local primary schools in the community. The local areas will benefit not only from that additional shared housing supply but from the support of a community-led good relations plan.”
“I commend my colleagues who have been working, sometimes quietly behind the scenes, bringing people together, allowing opportunity for dialogue and making sure that relations can be improved. I want to thank Members who have taken that approach, and I will continue to work with them on that. <BR /> <BR />The issue of housing has been raised. I have said on many occasions that I am working closely with all partners to improve housing supply generally and to remove barriers to building more social and affordable homes. I am pleased to say that that is reflected in the Programme for Government as a key Executive priority. I continue to press for the budget to build the homes that we so badly need. However, we also need to have confidence that people and their homes will not be threatened or targeted.”
“In the Executive statement on racist and sectarian attacks, on 4 September, we pledged to continue to work in partnership with the PSNI, civic leaders, community organisations and statutory bodies to ensure that our streets, neighbourhoods and communities reflect the values of equality and respect. That is certainly what I am doing in the Department for Communities and with my responsibility for housing. I would just say, at this point, that there are actions that we can take, and are taking, that do not always happen in the full glare of the cameras, because sometimes that is not right. Sometimes, it is better for us to take a different approach, but that does not mean that we are not taking action.”
“They have some cheek to come to this place and talk about condemnation of violence when they have continued for years to justify violence that took place against people right across our society, so I will not take it. <BR /> <BR />Let me be very clear to the House, and, importantly, let me say to everybody out there, especially those who have been affected by violence and those disgraceful scenes that we have seen over the past number of months, that I condemn that completely and unequivocally, and I wish that everybody in the House had always taken that approach to violence. <BR /> <BR />More than that, we should not be condemning it with just our words. We need to take action to make sure that it does not happen again.”
“No, I will not, because I have heard enough from him already. Unless he is prepared to apologise, and I do not think that he is, I do not want to hear any more of what he has to say. <BR /> <BR />I was very clear in June, over the summer and in September in condemning the violence. Before it happened, I said that it was never acceptable. Afterwards, I said that it was never acceptable. I will always condemn violence. I do not care where it happens. I do not care who it happens to. I do not care what the source is. I will always condemn it because I believe that violence is always wrong. I believe that violence should never be seen as acceptable in any way, shape or form. <BR /> <BR />That is what sets me apart from the Member; that is what sets me apart from his leader in this place; and that is what sets me apart from his party.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, I consider that a slur against me, and the Member has crossed a line. There are many, many examples, because I have been in front of the —”
“That is why I have to take issue with the comments that Mr Gildernew made today. The Member said:”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, and I thank the Members who tabled the motion. I welcome the opportunity to speak to it and to unequivocally condemn the sectarian and racist intimidation of individuals and attacks on their homes. I have said, and I will repeat it today, that the attacks on individuals and on their homes must stop. I recently joined my Executive colleagues in publicly condemning all forms of racism, sectarianism and hostility towards individuals, whatever their background. We have been united in our messaging that all acts of violence and intimidation are abhorrent and have no place in our society whatsoever. It is wrong, and it needs to be condemned.”
“It is absolutely disgraceful to imply in any way that I have not condemned all the violence that has taken place. I have done that on multiple occasions in the House and in the media. It is outrageous for the Member to say what he just said. At a time when we should come together and take the opportunity to unite as an Assembly and Executive to send a clear message, he has failed to do so. Outrageous stuff.”
“I welcome the Member's welcome for the work to improve investment in sport in Northern Ireland. He is right in saying that there is no closing date. It is a rolling programme, so it will be up to clubs to make sure that they put in place the extra support that is required for the funding to be issued. We know the difference that funding can make to clubs that often feel that they do not have avenues for funding. I want to change that, and today is the start of that.”
“I hope that the Member recognises that it is new and innovative. We are trying to get more out of the money that we have. We went with Crowdfunder UK so that we could do that and because of its experience. I am confident that the partnership will enable us to get more for the money that we put into it. If the Member has specific concerns to raise, I am happy to take them on board.”
“There was sniggering and shaking of heads on the other side of the Chamber. I am fed up with those who talk most about the need to show respect not themselves showing respect. Everybody should be free to have the opportunity to represent Ireland or Team GB and NI. We should not snigger at the fact that some people want to have that choice. Unfortunately, some people do not have that choice, as barriers are sometimes put in the way. The issues are not straightforward — there are complexities — but I am working on issues in a number of sports to make sure that we can find a way through. Some of it, because of the way in which governing bodies work, has to be worked out at an international level, but people absolutely should be able to represent, play for and compete for whichever team they want, and that choice should be respected.”
“First, I welcome the Member's comments welcoming the fund. <BR /> <BR />Mr Gaston makes a fair point. Under the arrangements that followed on from the Good Friday Agreement, people have the right to identify with whichever country they want to represent.”
“The fund is open to everybody, and everybody can apply for funding on an equal basis. Any issues that arise will be considered as part of the monitoring process, which can be reviewed if necessary. The fund is, however, open to everybody on an equal basis to apply for funding at levels from £1,000 to £50,000. I am confident in the requirements, but any changes that are needed will, of course, be made.”