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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“I would rather not involve myself in such cases, but there is a reason why I have to do so. The Minister for Infrastructure has taken it upon herself to go against the law; that is the strong advice that I have received. Nobody is above the law — not the Infrastructure Minister, not Sinn Féin. If something is significant, cross-cutting or controversial, it must come to the Executive. That was not done. I gave the Minister time and allowed her the opportunity to rectify the situation without going through the courts, but, unfortunately, that is where we have ended up.”
“The Member makes the case for me. He rightly says that I am the Minister responsible for the development of the Irish language strategy: it is therefore a cross-cutting issue. Even Sinn Féin is now making the point for me that the issue is cross-cutting. It is important that, if something is significant, controversial or cross-cutting, it goes before the Executive. I thank the Member for making the case for me today.”
“The Member will be aware that it is for the GAA to identify its strategic need in relation to the Casement Park project. I have asked for that to be looked at again in the light of rising costs and the financial situation that we find ourselves in. After years of delay — delay for no apparent reason other than political purposes, by the way — I have ensured that what was the subregional stadia programme and is now the Northern Ireland Football Fund has moved forward, and I look forward to making an announcement on that in the coming weeks.”
“Yes. I have met the Secretary of State on that matter, and we have had conversations about it. I have made it clear that the funding of sport, especially when direct funding is being given to one sport within a broader package of measures, should be done fairly and equitably and that there should be no special treatment for anyone.”
“I have been aware of many of the problems in the Housing Executive in its not being able to do some of the things that it would like to do. That is as a result of a lack of funding. That is why I have been working so hard to make sure that we see a change through the revitalisation of the Housing Executive so that we can borrow against our assets and put in place many of the improvements that are needed. I have not yet had full sight of all the issues or complaints, but I certainly will not be found wanting when it comes to that.”
“I have not received a request to meet it. I am concerned about some of the things that I have heard, and it is right that the investigation take place. Regarding my involvement in that process, I am open to hearing what evidence it would like from the Department, but I will wait for it to ask for any evidence that may be forthcoming from me or from the Department.”
“I will not go into exactly who said what, because Executive conversations are confidential. There was, however, the level of consensus required to go out to public consultation. All Ministers had the opportunity to submit their ideas for things that, they believe, could be delivered within their Departments. They could have commented on anything else. They could have asked for the inclusion of anything else. I believe that I answered all the questions that were put to me on that: it is now up to others to explain their position, having given consent for the strategy to go to publication.”
“First, I put on record my thanks to those involved in Larne Swimming Club. As the Member is aware, they have been in contact with me directly, and we have been united in our view on the wrongs that took place over that time. We condemned the violence together. I am pleased to have been working closely with them and look forward to seeing them on-site again soon. <BR /> <BR />As I said, I have not received any specific proposals, but, if certain help is needed, I will be happy to look into that. There may be some additional routes that the club could go down to seek compensation for some of the criminal damage. I am happy to work with the Member to assist with that.”
“I again condemn the recent violence and the harm that it has inflicted on communities that have been affected by the actions of a disruptive minority. I confirm that neither my Department nor Sport NI has been contacted directly by sports clubs or organisations that have been impacted on by the recent violence. As a result, I am not aware of any specific support needs.”
“The Member has been a strong supporter of the development for many years. I am pleased that we will see work begin on the site today, and I can inform the Member that he will see that work ramp up over the next six months, especially heading into later in the year, when we will see the work continue to make a difference, as phase 1 begins to be developed.”
“I am happy to announce that Bangor Marine has begun today to establish the Marine Gardens works compound, with site cabins and facilities for the construction workers who are starting to come on-site. As of today, some additional enabling works have commenced, and hoardings have been erected as part of phase 1 of the public realm scheme, which is expected to commence over the summer. Bangor Marine will issue a more detailed timeline for its proposals in the coming weeks. The Marine Gardens's car park will remain open during the busy holiday period.”
“Councils have ability in that area. For example, Belfast City Council has planning policy on short-term holiday lets, so it is in the gift of other councils to follow suit and do likewise. It is a local issue, and that is why we have local government, and we should respect the role that local councils and councillors have to play in the matter. However, we stand ready to assist in any way that we can.”
“I recognise how difficult it is, and I have brought forward a housing supply strategy because that is at the heart of all this, although I recognise that there are particular issues in her area. I assure her that housing officials have met DFE and DFI colleagues to scope research into the specific issue of short-term holiday lets and the potential impacts on the planning system. I will do all that I can to move the issue forward to make sure that we get to a sensible place.”
“Responses to the impact of second home or holiday home ownership in other UK jurisdictions have involved providing additional powers to local councils to allow them to amend the taxation rates that are applied to them. The consideration of similar powers here would be a matter for DOF to take forward, but I recognise that the matter causes concern in some specific areas because of the potential impact on housing affordability. A range of possible actions can be taken forward, and I am carrying out research on second home ownership in order to help improve our understanding of the issues.”
“I look forward to doing that. It will be very soon, because it is important that we help people get back into work. That is one of the ways that we can take proper action to tackle poverty. I look forward to announcing that programme soon.”
“The employment support scheme supports people with disabilities in work. The scheme closed to new entrants in 2006. My Department launched a 12-week public consultation on an option to cease funding the scheme. That closed on 17 February. Officials are considering responses to the consultation, but no decision has been made on the future of the scheme.”
“I am more than happy to look into that. I do not have any detail with me, but it is important that we ensure that those who are responsible take action. I am happy to chase that up for the Member and to come back to him directly.”
“I recognise the difficulties that exist for the HED in what we are trying to preserve at so many sites right across Northern Ireland, so I have increased the opening revenue budget for HED to £12·8 million, which is an increase of £2·6 million from last year. As custodians of the sites, we have a duty to make sure that they are properly funded. Once we lose them, we cannot get them back, and that is why I have taken action to protect them.”
“We have discussed that issue previously, and my understanding is that the enforcement is primarily for the council to take forward. I understand that there is a lot of background to the issue, and I am more than happy to discuss it with him further. Unfortunately, we are bound by the law as it stands, and we have to respect the role of the council.”
“A total of 187 of our most important monuments are protected as historical monuments in state care and are managed and conserved by the HED in my Department. They are protected through regular inspections, conservation maintenance and repairs, which are carried out by our in-house conservation works team or through capital investment works. I have provided additional resources this year to increase the staffing levels of the conservation team that maintains those monuments from 16 staff to 40.”
“It is always important that Ministers adhere to the law. On that basis, any strategy that comes forward from my Department to the Executive will, of course, ensure that that ruling is respected.”
“There is no strategy currently in place, as I said in response to the previous question. We will decide on the way forward in the coming weeks.”
“Those strategies are not progressing at this time because we are looking at the way forward. We are dealing with the anti-poverty strategy at the minute, and I will bring the disability strategy to the Executive very shortly. I can then decide the best way forward. That will require an additional staffing commitment, so that all needs to be taken into consideration.”
“With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions 7 and 11 together. <BR /> <BR />Given the pressure on resources across Departments, I decided to move forward with the development of the social inclusion strategies on a phased basis. An announcement on the timetable for the way forward on the gender equality and sexual orientation strategies will follow shortly.”
“The Member is absolutely right: we should be sensitive to that. Unfortunately, there are far too many people who are insensitive to what took place there and will not even allow a simple memorial to stand there. I assure her that we will do everything that we can to make sure that any development in that area is sensitive to the memory of those who were murdered at that location.”
“I am always happy to look at options that are available to us so that we can improve the site. However, the Member will be aware of the significant pressure that the historic environment division (HED) is under. I have significantly increased the budget for capital projects this year, but there are a lot of works in line. Of course, I am more than happy to discuss the matter further with the Member.”
“There are no plans for the further development of Narrow Water castle at this time.”
“The strategy is trying to do exactly that by minimising the risk of people falling into poverty, helping people deal with the impacts of poverty and, importantly, assisting people out of poverty. That is not something that we can do by ourselves. It will also take the work of the Northern Ireland Executive — not just the Department for Communities — the UK Government and other stakeholders. There is a consultation process ongoing. If the Member has concrete actions or costed plans that he wants to submit, I look forward to reading his consultation response.”
“Yes, there is an extensive evidence base. That changed as we moved through the process, as it was acknowledged that a lifecycle approach would have required the development of separate actions to lift children out of poverty. It is widely acknowledged that it is impossible to lift children out of poverty without lifting families out of poverty, so that is what we are focused on doing. That is what the evidence suggested, and I am more than happy to point the Member in the direction of the significant evidence base that we have used for our decisions.”
“We had completed the impact assessment on the Government's proposals, but they have now been changed. I have met Minister Timms three times in the past week. It is important that we work together on the issues. I am concerned at media reports across the UK that the changes will still result in hundreds of thousands of people being driven into poverty. I will continue to engage, but that highlights the fact that controlling poverty is not just for the Northern Ireland Executive; it will take collaboration from other stakeholders to make sure that we can tackle the issue meaningfully.”
“Yes, this has been a genuine co-design process and, as a result, many of the actions that the co-design group was calling for are in the strategy. Yes, we will have measurable actions and measurable targets. That will be part of the action plan.”
“A number of approaches were considered in developing the strategy. However, the three-pillar approach adopted by the Executive has been informed by evidence and will allow for a holistic approach that focuses most effectively on the root causes of poverty and its impacts. It will allow interventions to have an impact across all age groups and provide deliverable and sustainable interventions that will make a meaningful difference to people's lives.”
“No, I do not. First, we should not use that specific example to drive policy for all of Northern Ireland. Secondly, according to our evidence, rent controls would make the situation worse as they would lead to more landlords and properties leaving the market and rents being pushed up for everybody else. Unfortunately, the Member is wrong on that issue, but at least he is consistent, because he is consistently wrong.”
“I do not think that I have ever said that we are going to draw anything out of a hat. As I have said, it will be done on the basis of a fair and transparent application process.”
“That will be done through a fair and transparent process. We want to see the homes built right across Northern Ireland in locations where high rental prices and high demand exist. Once the detail on delivery locations and the final funding package has been confirmed, I will update the Member on the details.”
“Funding will be released in early 2026. We expect construction to take around 12 months, which means that, by the end of the mandate, we will have begun work on the first 300 homes. Intermediate rent is an innovative product. Such a scheme has not been done before. We have brought it to this point, and we will deliver on it.”
“I plan to award a financial transactions capital (FTC) loan to Maple and May to support the delivery of the first 300 homes. That will be in addition to the funding that is available to support the provision of other intermediate and social housing in line with the housing supply strategy. Discussions are progressing well, and I am moving towards agreeing the terms of the loan. That includes finalising the value, the private finance contribution and the delivery locations for the new homes. I will ensure that Members are kept updated as those matters are finalised.”
“The Member is right to highlight the fact that HMOs are primarily the responsibility of local councils. If, however, he has any specific examples that he would like me to look at, I am happy to do so.”
“We do not want to see any sort of intimidation whatsoever. I want to make sure that we have the number of homes that we need in Northern Ireland. I also want to make sure that we listen to concerns. We do not want to go to either extreme. We do not want to pretend that there is no issue with housing, but nor do we want to pretend that there is no issue with some of the practices that Mears has employed either. There are concerns about the provision and affordability of housing. By the way, I hear that from Members right across the Chamber. We should not ignore that. We must, however, stand against any sort of intimidation whatsoever. I am happy to provide that clarification to the Member.”
“First, I thank the Member for the work that he has been doing in his local area. He has been on the ground talking and, importantly, listening to concerns rather than just lecturing people. We need to see more of that approach. He is right: we had the Building Successful Communities programme in place from 2012 to 2017. We will be getting a report on it shortly that will outline its benefits, lessons learned and recommendations. I will look at the report, and I then hope to be in a position to move forward with its recommendations. That will require support from other Ministers, however.”
“Through its community involvement and cohesion strategy, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive creates opportunities to enter dialogue, build capacity and confidence and empower communities to get the best outcomes for their neighbourhoods and to contribute to greater community cohesion. The Housing Executive's good relations officers collaborate with local community and voluntary organisations to foster a community-led approach to promoting positive race relations within and between diverse ethnic groups and the wider community.”
“I will absolutely make that case. I met the UK Government Minister on this just a couple of weeks ago. As the Member outlined, significant funding is being made available on a UK-wide basis. I certainly will make the case for that money to be ring-fenced so that we can have the full benefit of it in Northern Ireland for the purpose for which it was intended.”
“The Member will be aware that the energy strategy and how we take that forward is a matter for the Minister for the Economy, but I am, of course, happy to work with her to make sure that we can deal with the issue, because it is right that we look at the options that are available to us. She is shaking her head, but it is a responsibility of the Minister for the Economy; that is a fact. However, I am willing to work with other Executive Ministers to make sure that we can deliver the fuel poverty strategy, which will, of course, be a cross-departmental strategy.”
“No, that bid was not met. That is disappointing, because these are actions that we can take that will make a difference and will make sure that we make a change in people's lives. I hope that, if Members are concerned about the issue, they will lobby the Finance Minister and others to ensure that we have that funding in place and make a difference for the people whom we represent.”
“Of course, it will have an impact. That is something that I have said from the start: the plan would always be flexible to take into consideration the fact that they are not issues that we deal with by ourselves and that we need to work with the UK Government and, of course, other stakeholders.”
“The fuel poverty strategy consultation closed on 6 March. Analysis of the responses to the consultation has been completed, and a summary will be published later this summer. Informed by the consultation, my fuel poverty strategy team is continuing to discuss and agree various aspects of the final strategy with other officials, both in my Department and across government. I plan to bring the final strategy to the Executive for agreement by the end of the year.”
“I thank Members for their contributions. I look forward to having the support of the House for initiatives such as those that will come through the heritage, culture and creativity programme, not just because we believe that the arts are good for people's well-being and for society but because we know the economic potential and benefits that they can bring.”
“We must ensure, however, that everyone has access to the arts and to realising their potential, if they have the interest and talent, no matter what their background, location or personal circumstance. <BR /> <BR />That is all the more important when the evidence shows that people from working-class backgrounds are under-represented in our creative industries. That should not be the case, because we have talent and ambition in all our communities, and I pledge to be a Minister who works hard to make sure that the opportunity is there for everyone, no matter where they come from.”
“<BR /> <BR />I believe that talent, creativity and aspiration should not be based on a postcode and nor should opportunity. Through the work that is being done, I aim to ensure that there is equality of opportunity for people, wherever they are in Northern Ireland, to participate in the arts and to ensure greater participation and engagement at a grassroots level and across all age groups. To achieve that, I want to see greater support and recognition for grassroots and community-based arts. That should not come at the expense of the people and organisations that make up the core of our arts infrastructure and whose current contribution and great potential to do more I reflected on in earlier comments.”
“It is certainly something that we can look at. The Member will be aware of the outworkings of the new heritage, culture and creativity programme that we are bringing forward. I will not be found wanting when it comes to engaging with other Departments, in particular the Department for the Economy and the Department of Finance, to deal with the issues that the Member raises. <BR /> <BR />As I said, there are few downsides to multi-year budgets. One of the issues that many people face in the arts sector is a lack of certainty. We can see that across the community and voluntary sector as well. People spend a large proportion of the year waiting to find out whether they will have a job at the start of the next financial year. That is where we can make a positive difference.”