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Mr Gordon Lyons: Assembly records
All of Mr Gordon Lyons’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not qualifying, uncertain or not yet analysed.
It is worth acknowledging that there was a significant increase in the number of housing starts this year. That number has gone up in the past couple of years now, but we absolutely need to do more. It is positive that we have got this far, but I would have been able to meet the overall target for this year had I been…
I agree with the Member, and that is why the Executive put targets in not only the housing supply strategy but in the Programme for Government. If one puts in place targets and credibly wants to meet them, funding is needed. That has not happened, however, and it is a problem that limits people's confidence in our…
It is a significant issue. It is not the biggest issue, but it is still a challenge in certain areas, and we need to find a resolution if we want to build more homes across all tenures, be it social housing or homes in the private sector. We need to remove all the drags on doing that so that the targets can be…
I have to say that Sinn Féin has some neck to complain about my not being able to build as many social homes as I want when it is in charge of the Department of Finance and could have made an allocation. If you do not like what it is that I am spending money on, ring-fence the targets that are in the Programme for…
Yes, absolutely. We see that time and time again from Sinn Féin. It is not able to put its money where its mouth is. I hope that people in the Republic of Ireland are listening to what is happening here. Sinn Féin is in charge of the Department of Finance and has the ability to bring forward proposals on where money…
At the beginning of 2025-26, the outlook for the social housing development programme was poor, with a budget that would have achieved only 1,100 new social homes. The leader of the Opposition said during a debate at that time that, if we were lucky, barely 1,000 new homes would be started. Since then, however, I have…
The Member will have heard my earlier answer and the indication that it is not just the 40 points that will be available through primary social needs; there will be additional points for homelessness and any of the other circumstances and categories that people find themselves in. Of course, we are reviewing that…
I place on record my appreciation of all those in society who help us to tackle the issue. There are many people in the community and voluntary sector who, in many different ways, help those affected, and they are to be commended. I want that to continue; I have seen first-hand the impact on those affected. The Member…
There will be different circumstances for different individuals, but, oftentimes, they want to remain in their own home. We have floating support services available through the Supporting People programme to provide practical housing-related support to victims. That helps them to sustain their own tenancies and live…
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…
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…
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…
I know that because, after he spoke, my colleague Mr Brett leaned over and said, "He's far better than you". 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 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…
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. I am absolutely delighted to welcome the deaf community here. As I look up into the Public Gallery, I can…
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…
Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank everybody for their comments today and for their commitment to the aims of the Bill. Throughout the progression of the legislation, the tone of debate and scrutiny has been collaborative. Even though we had a divergence of views at Consideration Stage, it was done in a…
I beg to move amendment No 1: I will start by acknowledging the Assembly debate at Consideration Stage and the amendments that were made. During that debate, I spoke about moving beyond symbolic recognition and delivering practical, meaningful change for British Sign Language (BSL) and Irish Sign Language (ISL) users.…
Ensuring the long-term delivery of the scheme is vital. One of the key bits of feedback from the voluntary and community sector was that the schemes are too few and far between, so I am working to ensure that the scheme is baselined in my Department and will continue to deliver for those sectors. It is also important…
I am pleased to say that, on Wednesday, I will make an announcement about those who were successful in applying to the Northern Ireland community infrastructure fund. It is often the case that, in the Chamber, we get a hard time and get accused of not delivering or not getting things done. Oftentimes, that may be…
That is one of the reasons why we made the changes that we have to intimidation points. It was wrong that certain groups of people who are under threat of violence or other threat had priority over other groups. The Housing Executive will carry out that work to make sure that the policies are right, are up to date and…
I am grateful to the Member for raising that issue. It is absolutely right that we have that support in place. The Housing Executive has a policy on the matter so that support can be provided and people can understand the unique nature of the challenge that is faced by those who are contending with domestic abuse and…
I expect to confirm a launch timetable shortly, with the intention of ensuring that the service becomes available as quickly as practicably possible for veterans, transitioning personnel and their families. For too long, our veterans have been taken for granted. I am proud to have been able to use resource in my…
I am grateful to the Member for her question. I am pleased to say that work on the dedicated armed forces liaison pathway is well advanced. My officials are finalising the design of the single-point-of-contact model, including referral routes, support processes and staff training requirements. Once those elements are…
I do not think that the Member listened to what I just said. Perhaps she had her supplementary question prepared before she listened to what I had to say. That is the problem when people are driven by ideology. They do not care about evidence or alternative views, nor do they care about facts or having a proper…