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 have set out the steps that we will take. It is not the case that support is not in place right now. The categories that have been identified for priority need in article 5 are sufficiently broad to ensure that those who are at risk of domestic abuse qualify for homelessness assistance as well. It is a very important issue. I am committed to doing everything that I can. The Housing Executive is working with others to make sure that we have the best possible supports in place, because it is a horrendous situation for any individual to find themselves in, never mind the children and other people who may be affected as well. The Member has my commitment that I will do everything that I can on this issue.”
“I understand the concern that the Member has expressed. However, under the current housing selection scheme, victims of domestic abuse are assessed on the basis of housing need and may receive 70 points for homelessness and up to 40 primary social needs points for violence or the threat of violence, giving a total of up to 110 points. The experience of violence or trauma can also be recognised through other social needs factors or complex needs points, depending on that person's individual circumstances. The applicant will also be entitled to any other selection scheme points that they qualify for through their housing circumstances, such as sharing and overcrowding and/or relevant health and social well-being issues, which are assessed based on their housing need. <BR /> <BR />I recognise the importance of this issue.”
“The Housing Executive’s domestic abuse action plan operates a trauma-informed, victim-centred approach to all applications involving domestic abuse, and its staff are trained to identify and respond appropriately by actively signposting victims to specialist domestic abuse support services.”
“I assure the House that I will work to ensure that the scheme fairly reflects the housing needs of the most vulnerable applicants, including victims of domestic abuse. This work will be concluded and the proposals implemented within the Housing Executive’s timescale for the review, which is due to be implemented in spring 2027. <BR /> <BR />The Housing Executive works closely with the PSNI, health partners and voluntary sector partners to provide holistic support alongside housing assistance. Those measures are in place to ensure that victims are supported to access social housing safely and without disadvantage.”
“I have been proactive in taking decisions to improve support for victims of domestic abuse. I removed intimidation points from the housing selection scheme, which has ended the overriding priority that intimidation had over other forms of violence or abuse. That has ensured that all victims of violence, or those at risk of violence or abuse for any reason, including domestic abuse, can access the same categories of points in the scheme. This has levelled the playing field for all those seeking housing as a result of abuse, trauma or violence. <BR /> <BR />I also tasked the Housing Executive with reviewing the primary social needs criteria and points, including those awarded to victims of violence, abuse and trauma. It has now submitted proposals as part of the fundamental review of allocations, which I will consider in due course.”
“I do not know whether we will be able to get the hundreds of people whom we engage with in the United States over here, but, certainly, St Patrick's Day is an opportunity for us to tell people about who we are. We should use that for the benefit of everybody in Northern Ireland.”
“I am sure that we can get a bus and all go together. I am more than happy to do that and to ensure that we highlight what is on offer and get that out to a wider audience. <BR /> <BR />I appreciate what Diane Forsythe said about ensuring that we maximise the appeal and deal with the unsavoury elements that were there in the past and had put people off. What has come through in today's debate is that we should all be able to get behind St Patrick's Day. Yes, we may come from different perspectives, but all of us have an interest in it and want to ensure that we promote it. <BR /> <BR />I commend Harry Harvey for his contribution in rightly outlining the real message of St Patrick and the shared history that we have. I also note Mr Beattie's comments.”
“I am happy to raise with colleagues in the Executive Office the T:BUC funding that Mr McGrath mentioned. I assure him and Cathy Mason, who asked me to use every tool that we have to help in that area, that I certainly commit to doing that. Alongside the Department for the Economy, Tourism NI, the council and other stakeholders, we are more than happy to provide support in order to make sure that we play our part. <BR /> <BR />Andrew McMurray asked me to take a wee trip to Downpatrick. I am also more than happy to do that. It seems as though, every time that I respond to an Adjournment debate in the House, I end up getting invitations. In the previous Adjournment debate, I agreed to visit Newry and Armagh, so I am more than happy to visit Downpatrick, too. You can organise a tour, Andrew.”
“<BR /> <BR />Progress in Downpatrick has also been supported by strong local leadership through the Downpatrick regeneration working group, which has shaped the Downpatrick living high streets framework, a place-based approach that aligns regeneration investment with cultural activity and how the town centre is used. My Department will continue to work with the working group, stakeholders and the council to deliver on the framework. <BR /> <BR />I hope that Members can see today how my Department is supporting work in connection with the regeneration of the town to ensure that we set the scene for how the event on St Patrick's Day and events around it can be supported. <BR /> <BR />Members raised a number of other points today, and I am happy to address some of them now.”
“The Irish Street development scheme is central to that long-term vision. The proposals represent a major and comprehensive development scheme that I plan to take to the market. The intention is to attract public-sector and private-sector investment in order to deliver a transformational mixed-use development. The vision includes a new hotel, new homes, new commercial space and high-quality shared public space. Taken together, those elements would significantly increase footfall, strengthen the daytime and evening economy and provide real support for local businesses, including during major events such as St Patrick's Day.”
“It promotes health and well-being, encourages active lifestyles and draws more people into the town centre, supporting footfall and, I hope, confidence.”
“<BR /> <BR />Successful events can flourish only when the surrounding environment is safe, accessible and attractive. That is why sustained regeneration investment and sensitive place-making is so important in Downpatrick. In February 2025, I announced £2·5 million of funding, alongside £400,000 from the council, for a major public realm scheme at Church Street and De Courcy Place. That investment is improving surfaces, lighting, accessibility and connectivity and is strengthening the core of the town centre as a place to visit and in which to do business. Since September 2025, my Department has invested £493,000 in the redevelopment of the Dunleath urban sports park. That project has delivered a new, high-quality space that is proving to be hugely popular.”
“<BR /> <BR />Downpatrick benefits from a strong year-round cultural offering. There are accredited museums, such as Down County Museum and the Downpatrick and County Down Railway, alongside language and cultural organisations that reflect the Irish and Ulster-Scots traditions. Those assets help to animate the town, to support education and, importantly, to encourage repeat visits. That cultural activity sits alongside the town's historic environment. Through its historical environment division, my Department maintains a number of state care monuments in and around Downpatrick. Those sites form an important part of the town's sense of place and visitor appeal, and my Department remains fully committed to their care, conservation and presentation for future generations.”
“Initiatives that are linked to St Patrick's Day in Downpatrick must be multidimensional and strongly rooted in storytelling, learning and participation. They depend on skilled people, active organisations and the ability to connect heritage, creativity and community in meaningful ways. That is why I introduced the heritage, culture and creativity programme. The programme will bring forward new policies for the arts, historic environment and museums and libraries. Together, those policies will provide a coherent cultural framework to strengthen how our heritage and stories are protected, promoted and sustained. I am pleased to say that the preparation of the policies is well advanced and that the first public consultation is already open. I encourage all those with an interest to participate.”
“Down Community Arts, a funded client of the Arts Council, plays a particularly important role in supporting the parade and wider celebrations, working with local groups, engaging rural communities and delivering cross-community cultural activity that builds not only pride but participation. My Department also supports local festivals through the community festivals fund, which match-funds programmes delivered by councils to support community-led events. That fund was established in recognition of the positive contribution that local festivals make to communities. In the past year, my Department allocated £36,000 to the council through the community festivals fund, which has been match-funded by the council. <BR /> <BR />Not all the support that the Department for Communities provides comes in the form of funding.”
“<BR /> <BR />St Patrick's story is not just for one day. It is a shared story that belongs to everyone and that can be expressed throughout the year through culture, creativity and community participation. Music, dance, language, storytelling and the other arts play a vital role in bringing that story to life. My Department supports that cultural activity through a range of programmes that are delivered by our arm's-length bodies, in partnership with the council. With support from the Arts Council, artists and organisations across the Newry, Mourne and Down council area contribute to cultural activity that underpins St Patrick's Day and supports year-round engagement.”
“We know that Downpatrick is a place of strong identity and deep cultural meaning. The connection with St Patrick is well known, but the key issue for us today is how that story is told, shared and sustained. The development of the St Patrick's Day celebrations and the long-term regeneration of the town are not separate issues. They are closely connected and should be progressed together, if Downpatrick is to thrive. St Patrick's story is not a story for just one day in March, of course, and, if the Member who secured the Adjournment debate does not mind me saying so, it is not a story for just Downpatrick, either. Slemish will soon be in the East Antrim constituency, and there are significant connections there that, I am sure, all Members will want us to explore and celebrate. The focus of today, however, is Downpatrick.”
“Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank Mr McGrath for securing the debate today. It has fallen to me to respond, but, as the Member and others have rightly pointed out, achieving what he and others have set out today will not simply be a matter for my Department, because other partners will also take responsibility for ensuring that we get this opportunity to where it needs to be. I thank the Member for his passion for the subject. He, rightly, mentioned the council — I do not think that he has just as much enthusiasm for the council as he does for St Patrick's Day and Downpatrick — but it is right that we in the Chamber put focus on that subject today. <BR /> <BR />The development of St Patrick's Day across Northern Ireland, and particularly in Downpatrick, matters greatly to local people and to future opportunities in the town.”
“The final chapter of 'The Long Road to Recognition' has remained unwritten: until today. To all Members, I say this: we are very fortunate, because we are the legislators who have the "power in our hands", if I may borrow the title of the BDA documentary, to change deaf history. We have a duty to be part of the final journey for deaf history in Northern Ireland and help write that final chapter in the story of recognition. <BR /> <BR />We have a duty to the current generation of deaf and deafblind people and a duty to future generations of the deaf and deafblind community, and that duty is to vote proudly for the long-awaited statutory recognition of British Sign Language and Irish Sign Language: the end of the long road to recognition. <BR /> <BR />Finally, to the deaf community, I say this: today is your day. Let's go.”
“I assure her that that is the only time that it will be allowed to happen. I hope that she enjoyed the experience, because it is now over and gone. I appreciate her comments about the legislation that we are passing today, which reflects a shared commitment to inclusion and equality and recognises that a modern, respectful society must value and support the deaf community. <BR /> <BR />When I introduced the Bill, I was presented with a copy of a booklet called 'The Long Road to Recognition' by its authors John Carberry and Brian Symington. The booklet takes us on a journey through time, signposting key events in deaf history along the way but not all the way to the legal recognition of BSL and ISL. The authors have been driven by their desire to complete the booklet.”
“Julie had an extraordinary privilege today, in that she got to speak without being interrupted.”
“As we look ahead to implementation, I want to be clear that the Bill is not the end of the journey. It is a significant step forward, but it is also a foundation. My Department will continue to work with colleagues across government and with stakeholders to ensure that recognition of sign language translates into lasting, positive change. I trust that it goes without saying that my officials will continue to work with the deaf and deafblind community to ensure that the legislation works for them. I would not have it any other way. <BR /> <BR />The Bill has enjoyed strong cross-party support at every stage, and the Assembly can be proud of that. I again recognise and acknowledge the speeches that were delivered today. I take the opportunity to congratulate Julie Middleton on her fantastic maiden speech.”
“I am sure that I speak for the House when I say to the deaf and deafblind community that we acknowledge, respect and have learnt from your deaf history. We have responded to your day-to-day experience in order to inform the legislation and its goal that future generations do not inherit past barriers.”
“They have, however, shown leadership in their community and continued their campaign for recognition. I sense that they are standing on the shoulders of giants, past and present. The individuals who are here today represent many deaf people from throughout the years whose contributions were never recorded. Their leadership, formal and informal, kept sign language alive through decades of exclusion, which has been leading up to this moment: the realisation of the Northern Ireland Sign Language Bill.”
“The success of the Bill will not rest with one Department; it will require cooperation across the Executive, engagement with public bodies and, most importantly, ongoing dialogue with those who use sign language in their daily lives. The Bill is grounded in the lived experience, leadership and advocacy of the deaf community in Northern Ireland. It reflects not a single moment but a long continuum of effort. <BR /> <BR />We are joined, in the Public Gallery, by members of the deaf community, and many of them have campaigned for this moment through the years. They have lobbied, petitioned for and requested the rights that the Bill will bring. As I mentioned in the Chamber last week, they have shown remarkable patience, and I know that, at times, they have despaired.”
“Members have rightly emphasised the importance of having clarity around public bodies' responsibilities, and I can reassure the House that my Department is committed to providing leadership on that. The statutory guidance that will follow the legislation is being developed in close consultation with the deaf community and other Departments to ensure that it is practical, proportionate and focused on improving real-world outcomes. That guidance will also be consulted on. <BR /> <BR />By improving access to public information and services, we are not creating special treatment but are removing obstacles that should never have existed in the first place. I am particularly encouraged by the emphasis that there has been, throughout the process, on partnership.”
“He has been in front of the Committee many times, and he has also been the face of Department for the deaf community for many years. He has been awarded an MBE for his work. Thank you, Tommy, on behalf of everyone in the Chamber and the Public Gallery. What we have today would not have been possible without your many years of work. <BR /> <BR />The purpose of the Bill is clear. It is to provide formal recognition of British Sign Language and Irish Sign Language and to place duties on public bodies that will lead to improved access, fairness and inclusion for deaf people across our society. The Bill has dignity, equality and participation at its heart.”
“Their work will continue in the form of regulations, guidance and implementation. Quite simply, the Bill would not have been possible without their perseverance and hard work. <BR /> <BR />Mr Deputy Speaker, I know that it is not in order for me to single out anybody in the Public Gallery or the Officials' Box, but I hope that you will allow me to break the rule on this occasion, because I want to single out Tommy McAuley, who is in the Box, as he has been at every stage of the legislation.”
“That approach should be held up as an example of how legislation should be developed. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Committee and, of course, the Committee Clerk and her team. The Bill has been refined as it has progressed through the House, and that has involved considerable effort. I therefore thank, again, the Bill Clerk and her staff and the Office of the Legislative Counsel, particularly the First Legislative Counsel, who worked closely with my officials. It would be entirely remiss of me not to fulsomely acknowledge the part that my officials have played — some of them for well over a decade — through their work to support the deaf community, listening to them to understand their needs and shaping the legislation and supporting its passage in order to meet those needs.”
“The Bill has benefited greatly from the scrutiny that it has received, not just in the Chamber but at Committee Stage and in engagement with the deaf community and other key stakeholders. That engagement has strengthened the Bill and, I believe, ensured that it more clearly reflects, in both its spirit and its practical requirements, recognition of and support for deaf sign language users in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the Committee's positive scrutiny and its approach to meeting the needs of the deaf community throughout its evidence sessions online and in person. I am pleased that my Department, through its support for the local deaf organisation Hands That Talk, played a part in the preparation for that process.”
“<BR /> <BR />I know that many people in the Public Gallery are here for the first time. It has been a very positive day. We have all been in agreement with one another; we have all got on with one another; and the mood here has been very good. That does not always happen, by the way. Maybe it is your presence that has changed that; maybe you should come along more often. We have all got on, and we agree today, because we have the same ambition and goal: to make sure that your languages are recognised and that you have equal access to services. <BR /> <BR />I am absolutely delighted to have brought the legislation forward and make a winding-up speech in the debate today.”
“As we all know, Mr Brett is always worth listening to, and he always tells the truth, so I have to accept that. That is what this is about: showing that, as legislators, we understand and want to be part of it. I hope that you will forgive us if our sign language has not been up to scratch. It is our way of demonstrating our commitment to you. <BR /> <BR />I thank the other Members who spoke. I note Mr Durkan's comment in particular. He said that I do not normally compromise. I am more than happy to compromise when someone else has a good idea; it just so happens that, Mr Durkan, most of the time, my ideas are a little better. I say that in good humour. I welcomed the opportunity to work with him and other members of the Committee to get the legislation to this stage today. That is positive.”
“I know that because, after he spoke, my colleague Mr Brett leaned over and said, "He's far better than you".”
“I thank all the Members who contributed to the debate. I listened carefully, as I have throughout the progress of the Bill, to the points that they raised. I thank the Committee for its work. Mr Gildernew spoke on behalf of the Committee. I commend him: I know that he has taken classes in sign language and that he has been doing very well.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Bill builds on that foundation, gives legislative shape to the work that has already begun and provides the clarity and stability that is needed to drive progress in the long term. The Bill is about rectifying a long-standing inequality. It reflects values that, I believe, are shared across the Assembly: fairness, dignity and inclusion. For far too long, that has not been the reality for members of our deaf community, but that ends today. I am therefore proud to have brought the legislation to its Final Stage, and I commend the Bill to the House.”
“Long before the Bill reached the Assembly, my Department was already engaging with the deaf community, its representatives and service providers to understand lived experience and practical need. That work included developing sign language interpreting services across public services; working in partnership with deaf-led organisations to co-design, develop and fund strategic interventions, including the family sign language programme, which is a priority for me and for which the Bill provides a statutory guarantee that classes will remain free of charge; establishing structured engagement through advisory and partnership groups; and improving awareness of sign language across Departments and public bodies.”
“It recognises BSL and ISL as languages in their own right, not as supports or accommodations but as full languages, with their own grammar, structure and cultural significance. That recognition matters. It sends a clear signal that deaf people and sign language users are valued members of our society. It ensures true equality, respects human rights and aligns Northern Ireland with international good practice. The Bill moves us away from a deficit-based model and one that focuses solely on impairment towards a model that recognises the linguistic identity and, importantly, cultural identity of our deaf and deafblind community. <BR /> <BR />It has been a privilege for me to lead on this groundbreaking work on behalf of the Executive.”
“I am pleased to have joined other funders, including the Ulster Society for Promoting the Education of the Deaf and the Blind, to support c21 Theatre Company and ensure that its play 'Call to Adventure: The Life and Travels of Francis Maginn' can tour venues across Northern Ireland. I am also pleased that the cast and crew will perform a short excerpt from the play in the Long Gallery after this debate at an event sponsored by me that will, I trust, mark the passing of the Northern Ireland Sign Language Bill. I reiterate my invitation to Members to attend that event. <BR /> <BR />The passing of the Bill would be a fitting tribute to the life and travels of Francis Maginn, because it delivers on many of the issues that he championed.”
“Those from the deaf community who are gathered here today will know of a central figure in that struggle: Francis Maginn. He was born near Mallow in County Cork in 1861 and spent most of his working life in Belfast until his death in 1918. He advocated on behalf of the deaf community to improve living standards, promote sign language and undo the injustices that flowed from the decisions made in Milan. Maginn was buried in Belfast city cemetery and is remembered in College Square North in Belfast, where an Ulster History Circle blue plaque at Wilton House reads:”
“Despite those challenges, deaf people persevered. They organised, advocated and passed their languages from one generation to the next. They ensured that their sign languages did not simply survive but flourish.”
“For generations, deaf people have built rich linguistic, cultural and social communities through sign language, yet, too often, that history has been marked by exclusion. Legal recognition of sign languages has lagged far beyond the lived reality. At the Bill's Further Consideration Stage, I spoke of the Milan conference in 1880 and how its decisions contributed to deaf children being discouraged from learning and using their own language and deaf people in general being marginalised in employment and civic life — often seen and treated as outsiders and not quite belonging.”
“<BR /> <BR />This is a day that has been much anticipated by the deaf and deafblind signing community. For them and for the whole of Northern Ireland society, this is a day that truly merits being described as "historic". As Members, we are being asked a simple but significant question: should Northern Ireland formally recognise BSL and ISL and strengthen our commitment to equality, dignity and inclusion for deaf and deafblind signing people? I am confident that the answer from the Assembly today will be an emphatic yes. <BR /> <BR />To understand why the Bill matters, we must first acknowledge the long experience of deaf people not only in Northern Ireland but across these islands and beyond.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am also delighted that, over the past few weeks, planning for this day has been led by members of the deaf signing community, supported by my officials. I am grateful for their efforts. I also thank Parliament Buildings staff and the British Sign Language (BSL) and Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpreters who have facilitated the signposting and escorting of visitors to the Public Gallery. I also thank the students from the Department for Communities-funded Queen's University MA in sign language interpreting. They have volunteered their services to help with supporting deaf visitors during their visit to Parliament Buildings today. I wish them well with their final dissertations. We are also joined by representatives of the deaf community who have travelled from other jurisdictions. They are very welcome.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am delighted to move the Final Stage of the Northern Ireland Sign Language Bill, and I am grateful for the opportunity to address the Assembly at what is clearly an historic moment. <BR /> <BR />I am absolutely delighted to welcome the deaf community here. As I look up into the Public Gallery, I can see that the community has turned up in large numbers from near and far to witness what is happening. For many of them, this day has been a long time coming. In my time in the House, I cannot remember so many people being in the Public Gallery for the Final Stage of any legislation. I am delighted at such a strong turnout. It speaks to the importance of the legislation for the community that is represented here today.”
“I encourage Members to make that choice to listen to the deaf community and to support the amendments before the House today.”
“Most of all, I would like to thank the deaf community, which has campaigned for many long years for the Bill. I applaud the dedication and commitment of the deaf community to maintain its language and culture. <BR /> <BR />Finally, I was reminded by one of my officials of a piece of advice given to them by a deaf professional many years ago on how we should interact with each other, hearing or deaf. He said:”
“I do not see Royal Assent of the Bill being the end, that we pack up our bags, dismantle the unit and all go home. There is work that needs to be continued, and we will do that. We also need to continue to listen because we need to make sure that the legislation is doing what we want it to do. Members will be aware of the reviews that take place as well, so we will need to make sure that we are liaising. Other issues were raised through amendments that we need to keep an eye on as well. <BR /> <BR />I thank all who have been involved. I thank the OLC for its engagement, advice and support to my Bill team in getting us to this stage through some tricky drafting issues. I also thank the Speaker's Office and the Bill Clerk and her team.”
“I have expressed my view on that. She has taken a contrary view. I do not think that we are going to come to an agreement on that. However, I welcome the fact that she accepts that there is value in the amendments that I am making, and will support them. I simply make the case to the House that sometimes things require a little more consideration and understanding of what we are actually doing. <BR /> <BR />Let me just comment on some of the other speeches, and on one point in particular by the Chair of the Committee, who asked whether the EFM will be updated. I can assure him that it will. I think that that was a concern of other Members as well. Pam Cameron and Andy Allen talked about the need for ongoing engagement and resourcing. I can assure them both that that is absolutely something that we need to make sure that we do.”
“Whether you are hard of hearing or whether that hardness of hearing has progressed to full hearing loss, you should be considered in the same way as those who have, for example, been deaf for the entirety of their lives. <BR /> <BR />I take a different approach because I believe that we are talking about different languages and different cultures. That is the mainstream view of most people. That is the point and the case that I made at Consideration Stage. The Member — and the House — decided to go against that. What we now have now is an opportunity to steer that a little bit more in the right direction. When the Member includes the language of inclusivity, she is taking the focus away from those for whom sign language and deaf culture is not a choice. She is shaking her head. That is the case, that is what the representatives said.”
“With respect to the Member, it is not a case of me not understanding or listening to different groups. It is simply a matter of disagreeing with what she proposed based on the representations that were made to me — and not to just me — over my time in office. Indeed, this is an issue that I had an interest in long before I came into office. I was the first, along with Mrs Cameron, long before we were in this position, to lobby the then Speaker to make sure that there was provision for those who were in need. <BR /> <BR />It was not just that. It was the work of my officials, who have been engaged on the issue, in some cases for longer than a decade, to make sure that we got it right. I understand the argument that she makes that everybody within the deaf community should be treated equally.”