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.”
The complete record
Every one of 5,903 lines we hold for Gordon Lyons, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 75 of 119.
“My officials have been working closely with Ards and North Down Borough Council and the developer, Bangor Marine, to bring forward plans for the development of the site by way of a development agreement. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to officials from the Department for Communities who have worked very hard on this over many years. <BR /> <BR />The Bangor Marine team is working through the pre-commencement planning conditions. In tandem with that, discussions continue with the Crown Estate about securing the necessary approvals for elements of the project that will be located on Crown Estate land.”
“The Member raises important points about how often these flooding events happen and about how they are now happening in places where they did not happen before. The Assembly and the Executive have a responsibility to make sure that there is investment where it can make a difference, such as through flood defences and preventative work. I will support the Department for Infrastructure in doing that. I would be quite happy if my Department were not to pay anything out from the fund owing to its not being needed, but, if it is the case that it is needed, we will need an awful lot of investment.”
“Any change to that scheme is likely to incur additional costs, for which no budget is available at the moment. Any change to widen the application of the scheme is likely to impact on its value-for-money assessment and to be repercussive. It would therefore need to be fully tested via an appropriate business case, and no further work has been done on that.”
“I hope that the Member, too, will make his constituents aware of the Flood Re scheme, which can be of benefit to them in the situation in which they find themselves.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Department is unable to provide all the help, support and funding that is required in a situation like this, but I am pleased that, over the past number of years, we have been able to provide £227,000 of support to help those who find themselves in immediate need. That will continue.”
“Yes, I can. In the Londonderry and Strabane District Council area, there were payments of £14,000 in 2019-2020, £19,000 in the following year, £15,000 in the following year, £156,000 in 2022-23 and £23,000 the year after that. That is just the support that was given through this particular scheme. <BR /> <BR />I want to put on record my thanks to those in his local council area who did so much to help people who were affected during that time. The Member will be aware of how the local community came together and how the council provided support on top of that provided through the Department. I know, because of connections that I have in the Eglinton area, that local churches and community groups, in particular, came together to provide support.”
“The Assembly is not in a position to step in and provide the sort of cover that otherwise would be covered by insurance.”
“The Member will understand that my hands are tied in many ways here insofar as I can operate only within the scheme that is currently available. I have huge sympathy for those who find themselves in the position that she described. On average, it costs between £40,000 and £50,000 to repair and refurbish a home that has been damaged by flooding. That is very hard on the householder but, unfortunately, it is not a cost that my Department is able to absorb at this time. <BR /> <BR />I really encourage the Member to make her constituents who have been affected aware of the Flood Re scheme. A levy is taken from all insurance payments in the UK, and that can go towards helping people in those areas and people who have faced this difficulty in the past.”
“My Department can work only within the guidelines that are available at this time. <BR /> <BR />I recognise that there is an issue of concern, especially for people whose homes have been flooded in the past, and the difficulty that there can be in securing flood insurance. Flood Re is a joint initiative between the UK Government and insurers that will run until 2039. That programme exists to improve the availability and affordability of flood insurance for people who live in properties in flood-risk areas.”
“As I advised at Question Time on 20 February, the scheme of emergency financial assistance (SEFA) was introduced by the Executive in 2007. Its purpose is to provide immediate financial support to households that have suffered from flooding. It is not a compensation scheme, nor does it purport to be one, and it is not intended to replace or displace the assistance that households should receive from their insurers. An immediate payment of £1,000 was made by district councils to provide eligible householders with assistance to make their homes habitable as quickly as possible. In the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area, assistance was provided to 119 households during the flooding event in October 2023. No further payments can be made available under the SEFA.”
“As I indicated in my original answer to Ms Nicholl, the Education Minister and I have had conversations about childcare. As I said, it is primarily the responsibility of the Department of Education, but it is a cross-cutting issue. I am determined that my Department plays its role in delivering much-needed help. There is no disagreement among the Executive parties about the need to get that done and get it done quickly. We know that it can be a major game changer for people in Northern Ireland and, as we have discussed, has the ability to get people into work. I am fully committed to playing my role in that. We will certainly listen to stakeholders and parents and come up with what we can to provide real and meaningful help to people in Northern Ireland.”
“The Member will be aware that there are a number of outstanding issues in relation to the redevelopment of Casement Park. There has been an Executive commitment from 2011 to provide £62·5 million for that redevelopment. However, I completely agree with those who say that we also need to see our public services funded properly and a childcare strategy in place that delivers the change that is needed in order for people to be able to get into work and not be burdened by the cost of childcare. That is what I and my party are committed to doing, and we look forward to achieving it during this term.”
“I want to make sure that we do everything that we can to ensure that a disability does not prohibit somebody from getting into the workplace. Some excellent work has already been done in that regard. <BR /> <BR />It is also important that people have access to training and the skills that they need to succeed. All of that will require a cross-departmental approach and genuine joined-up working so that we can tackle poverty in all its forms in Northern Ireland.”
“The Member will not be surprised to hear me say that I agree with her that those who can work should be supported into work, and that means that we need to break down barriers to get people into employment. There are a number of barriers that people face as they try to enter the workplace. The Member has rightly identified childcare as one of those barriers. I am keen for the Executive to address that issue. She will be aware that the Education Minister takes primary responsibility for and is committed to addressing it. My Department will, of course, have a role to play. We will be part of the task and finish group on the childcare policy proposals. <BR /> <BR />Of course, that is not the only issue that we need to address. Disability is another barrier. There are low levels of employment among those with a disability.”
“The Member will be aware that that report has only just been published today, and I will want to take time to consider its findings and to get fully briefed by officials on that issue. I recognise that a number of concerns have been expressed in relation to the report. We will not have a child poverty strategy in the future, as that will be rolled into the anti-poverty strategy, but, of course, it is absolutely right that we take time to consider that and look at the learning that can be taken from it. It is important that we do that and that we go out and try to ensure that we have a strategy that works and will actually deliver the change that we want to see, and that includes taking learning from all quarters.”
“In the case of a child with a disability, an extra monthly payment is available to help with the extra costs of bringing up a disabled child, and the disabled child addition will be paid at a lower or higher rate. The lower rate is £146·31 a month for a child who receives any rate of either part of disability living allowance (DLA), except the highest rate of care part, or receives any rate of either personal independence payment (PIP), except the enhanced rate of the daily living part. The higher rate, £456·89, is for a child who receives the highest rate of the care part of DLA. As well as that, there is the universal credit carer's addition of £185 extra a month if the person tells us that they are caring for a severely disabled person.”
“The Member is correct. Universal credit awards can include a childcare element in the calculation of the benefit award, and that can provide up to 85% reimbursement of the eligible amount that the customer claims. The current maximum limits are £950·91 for one child and £1,630·15 for two or more children. She is correct to say that the claimant must be in paid work, employed or self-employed, or about to start work. <BR /> <BR />The difficulty for the Department comes if there is divergence from the rest of the United Kingdom. That is where the extra costs come in. However, I am aware of the issues around the specific question that the Member raised, and additional support will be available for carers who find themselves in that position.”
“My Executive colleagues and I will seek to ensure alignment of approach between the strategies in addressing the issues faced by children and their parents, with a view to ensuring that all parents who want to work are enabled to do so. I am committed to developing solutions to tackle poverty in the here and now. I do not want to produce a strategy that will just sit on a shelf. To that end, my focus will be on working with my Executive colleagues to develop a sustainable, deliverable anti-poverty strategy that prioritises the issues that will make a tangible difference to people's lives.”
“Addressing poverty in all its forms is a key priority for me. Poverty is a complex and multifaceted issue, and I am considering the work to date on the development of the Executive's anti-poverty strategy. <BR /> <BR />My officials have engaged with officials from all Departments, including the Department of Education, in the development of the strategy so far. I have had discussions with the Minister of Education on childcare and, in particular, on the relationship between the anti-poverty strategy and the childcare strategy, and I will work closely with him to progress both of those important pieces of work. <BR /> <BR />There are clear links between the two strategies.”
“It is a discretionary amount. All of the decisions on the rate support grant will be entirely dependent on the Budget allocations that are provided to me and the decisions that come from that.”
“Yes, the rate support grant is a statutory discretionary payment, but it is not ring-fenced. If further funding becomes available for the current financial year, I will consider the funding for councils in the context of my Department's overall budget priorities. As the Member will be aware, the Budget for 2024-25 has not yet been agreed by the Executive. Therefore, I am unable, at this stage, to confirm any funding for councils for the next financial year.”
“Mr Speaker, hopefully you will forgive me for not being over the detail of the exact issue that the Member raises. There are a number of issues waiting for me on the local government group in my Department that I will be taking on, but I will have to come back to the Member in writing on local development plans.”
“That is a cross-cutting issue. Therefore, it is one for the Executive.”
“I would be delighted to join the Member in her constituency and engage with those faith-based organisations. I hope that, by doing so, I can highlight some of the work that they have done. They are often the unsung heroes who contribute hugely to people's lives across Northern Ireland.”
“I am grateful to the Member for her question. I absolutely agree with what she has said about the impact that church and faith-based organisations can have across Northern Ireland. I am sure that we all see that in our constituencies. Whatever background we come from and whatever faith we might have, if any, we can see the impact that they have, especially among children and young people. I have been approached by a number of people in recent years who have said how difficult it is for some faith-based groups to get funding. Quite simply, I do not believe that anyone should be discriminated against on the basis of their faith or religion.”
“Scotland and Wales have taken initiatives to ensure that they can tackle the high number of empty homes that existed there, some with considerable success. We also need to look at the funding model for the Housing Executive. Importantly — this will require a cross-departmental approach — we need to look at planning. We need to look at where and how we build our houses and to make sure that we have the infrastructure in place so that we can make housing as affordable as possible and allow people to get on the housing ladder. Those are some of the things that I hope to tackle during my time in office.”
“First, housing is a priority. No one can come into this Department and say that it is not. As I have outlined, there are things that we can do to improve housing in Northern Ireland. Housing has a hugely important impact on the lives of people. If someone has a warm home to live in, it gives them huge advantages moving forward. It is about having a safe place to live in. Too many children are growing up without the security of a home. Far too many people are in temporary accommodation, being moved from place to place every few weeks or every few months. Too many people have to move away from where they are living as well. <BR /> <BR />As I have outlined, I want to make sure that we look at empty homes in Northern Ireland.”
“If the Member has concerns, I encourage him to send those to me, and I will certainly look at how we can make application processes in the future as simple as they can be not just for the Arts Council but for the other bodies under the remit of the Department.”
“I will make a couple of points. First, it was clearly and massively oversubscribed, and that necessitates looking at it again to see whether we are able to provide more funding. It would be a fantastic programme to which to allocate more funding. I also note what the Member said about how complicated the application process was. Often, it is volunteers who are filling out the forms. They have huge pressures on their time, and they are maybe not used to filling in applications such as that. Many of them, maybe, filled them in for the first time. I helped many people to fill in the forms, and other MLAs will have done the same. It is important that, when people are applying for funding, we make it as straightforward and as simple as possible.”
“Yes, I can provide that because Cheryl Brownlee has already been asking me that question. I can confirm to the Member that there were a total of 475 applications to the Arts Council of Northern Ireland's 2023-24 musical instruments programme. A total of 296 of those applications met the programme's eligibility conditions, and, of those, 43 were successful.”
“I will, of course, look at that. If the Member would like to meet me, I will be happy to offer a meeting to discuss that.”
“I will say at the outset that my job is to protect the most vulnerable in society, and there are many ways in which I can do that in this portfolio. I have also committed to looking at where we spend our resource and to making sure that we spend every pound that we have in the way that makes the greatest impact on people in Northern Ireland. I was not aware of the exact figure that you quoted to me, but I am more than happy to look at it and come back to you.”
“The short answer is no, but I am certainly happy to find out more.”
“As I have indicated in my previous answers, we need to see improvement in our housing not just in the number of houses in Northern Ireland but in the quality of some of our housing. I do not think that there is one MLA who is in touch with constituents who does not get justified complaints and concerns from them. As I said, and it may be a frequent refrain from me, we are living in a tight budgetary environment. That is why we also need to look at alternative funding measures.”
“I have to be honest with the House and say that it will not be in my gift. The matter is outside the control of any one Department and of the Northern Ireland Executive. I have explained to the Member the difficulties that exist. There is uncertainty around cost and funding, but I can commit to providing that information to the House as soon as I can.”
“As I said to Mr McNulty, there are outstanding issues around the quantum of funding, the total cost and where that funding is to come from. I look forward to further clarity on that.”
“As I said to the Member's colleague — sorry, I mean the Member's former colleague.”
“I am delighted that the funding was made available so that those business cases could be taken forward and that a number of clubs will be in the position of being well advanced ahead of my giving final consideration to the options that will come my way shortly. We look forward to analysing all those cases as they come in. It is important that we look at the level of need, the business cases and everything else to make sure that everything that is necessary is in place.”
“I know that Coleraine Football Club is looking for funding, as are many other clubs at premiership, championship and grassroots level. I will absolutely go back to the Executive looking for more resource.”
“Once final proposals are confirmed and approvals secured, I will be able to provide a timescale for the process to apply for funding. <BR /> <BR />I am committed to delivering this important investment. I recognise the valuable contribution it can deliver for football and wider society.”
“With the Speaker's permission, I will group questions 6 and 8. <BR /> <BR />I welcome my colleagues' interest in our local football infrastructure, which is badly in need of investment. The facilities used to play football across Northern Ireland at all levels are, in many cases, in poor condition and no longer fit for purpose. I recognise and share the deep frustration of many that this long-standing Executive commitment has not yet been delivered. <BR /> <BR />My officials are working closely with clubs at all levels to build strong relationships and understand needs. They are developing proposals in partnership with an advisory working group. I have asked my officials to present me with proposals and options for consideration to take this commitment forward as a matter of priority.”
“I understand the difficulties for the council concerned. It has to take responsibility for a decision that it did not make. The Member will understand that it is not an issue for the Department for Communities directly. As I have said, I am willing for historic environment division to get involved in any way it can to provide help and advice as is necessary. You may want to address some of those issues to the Department for Infrastructure.”
“If a meeting with me or my officials would be helpful to discuss what help or advice we can provide, I would, of course, be happy to do that.”
“I understand the frustration that many in that area feel as to the process. Over the last number of years, the Department of the Environment was responsible for the planning application that was passed. The historic environment division was not consulted. Had it been, it would have had something to say about that. Planning authority responsibility has now transferred to Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, and we are left in a position that is good for nobody. <BR /> <BR />It would have made no difference to the problem that we face had the monument already been placed under state care. The response of the Department for Communities' historic environment division would not have been any different. However, my Department remains committed to providing any help and advice that it can in relation to the issue.”
“My Department will continue to fulfil its statutory responsibilities to ensure that the scheduled monument at Knock Iveagh is appropriately protected under relevant legislation.”
“My Department has a role as a statutory planning consultee on archaeological matters. The historic environment division (HED) continues to provide advice to the planning authority regarding the ancient burial cairn at the summit of Knock Iveagh. The cairn is protected as a scheduled historic monument. There are several long-running planning matters concerning a wind turbine at that important historic site. These issues remain the responsibility of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council as the relevant planning authority. <BR /> <BR />Over recent years, my Department's officials have also undertaken an enhanced quarterly inspection regime to ensure the appropriate ongoing conservation management of the cairn.”
“As I said to the other Members, under the current scheme, those who are subject to intimidation receive 200 points. The intimidation category is very specific and does not include domestic abuse. Under the current scheme, someone who leaves their home as a result of domestic abuse can be allocated points for homelessness, primary social needs or violence or the threat of violence. My independent research is being carried out and is due to be completed. That will help to inform the next stage of works. I have a huge degree of sympathy with what the Member is saying and will look into that issue.”
“Unfortunately, I am unable to give those figures, because so much of what we will be able to do will depend on budget. The Member will be aware of the constrained budget environment that we are in, unfortunately. He was right to indicate that, in order to deal with housing in Northern Ireland, we cannot just look at the number of houses that we ourselves intend to build; we need to make it as easy as possible to build houses, make homes as affordable as we can, and look at other ways in which houses can be built, not just directly through money that is available in my Department.”
“Of course, we also need to look at opportunities such as FTC to see where that can be used to build more homes. So many of the problems that we face and the delays that people have in getting housing are down to a lack of supply. That is what we need to address.”
“Obviously, it is important that we get the housing selection scheme right, but one of the reasons that we have so many difficulties is that we do not have enough housing stock. That is where there are a lot of difficulties and a lot of people waiting. I absolutely believe that we need to address that issue. We can do that in a number of ways. We need to look at the number of empty homes that we have in Northern Ireland and at what we are doing to address that issue. We need to look at the model for the Housing Executive and allow changes to take place so that we can build more houses in Northern Ireland. We need to ensure that we have a greater supply of affordable housing as well for those who are looking to rent or purchase their own home.”