All of Mr Gordon Lyons’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
Construction work on the Inner Walled City public realm project began on 6 January, and works are scheduled to last approximately 18 months. Those works have been progressing well, and my officials continue to meet regularly to ensure that this progress continues with full engagement with all local stakeholders.
I am grateful to the Member for raising that important issue. I am looking for the most appropriate way forward on this. One option is the possibility of including some of the provisions in Awaab's law in a change in the decent homes standard. That may be the most appropriate response to that. Of course, we will keep…
Environmental health officers have powers to deal with damp and associated mould issues through enforcing the statutory minimum fitness standard for all housing tenures. My Department issued guidance on damp and mould to social housing providers in January 2024. The Housing Executive has developed and is delivering an…
I am very grateful to the Member for his kind comments. I am always open to looking at ideas that can help to make sure that we deliver for the people whom we are sent here to represent. My only caution around that would be that I do not want to set up another body for administration if we can do those things in other…
I want to progress those and to make sure that we make a real difference for people right across Northern Ireland. All those will be considered, and we will look at the actions that can be taken that will actually make a difference. However, of course, all those will be subject to Executive agreement, and, therefore,…
I intend to meet, as we previously discussed, the expert panel and other key stakeholders. I intend to do that before the strategy goes out for consultation, but, of course, I will bring it to the House so that Members have the opportunity to question me, and I look forward to that.
In 'New Decade, New Approach', 14 social inclusion strategies were mentioned, and I am certainly keen that progress is also made on the delivery of active ageing provision. Too often, the older population can be taken for granted, and we saw that with the Labour Government's decision to cut the winter fuel payment. I…
Based on gathered evidence, it is apparent that the existing strategic strategy framework remains appropriate. I have, therefore, decided to retain the existing active ageing strategy, whilst instructing my officials to bring forward a new action plan based on the existing strategy framework.
The Member is already looking forward to it being regular, and, of course, I am more than happy for that to be the case, because I go out to community organisations across Northern Ireland and the state of facilities is often raised with me. In fact, Joanne Bunting had me out at Bloomfield Community Association just…
I am pleased to confirm that I have asked my officials to develop a programme to provide funding for small-scale renovation and improvement projects for community halls and facilities that deliver benefits to the wider community. I will make a formal announcement on a new programme next month.
First of all, I hope that it will put the spotlight on Belfast and Northern Ireland and inspire more people to get involved so that they can understand the rich artistic, cultural and musical traditions in Northern Ireland. We will certainly look at actions that we can take to ensure that there is a legacy from the…
I have not received an invite yet, but I made clear at the meeting with the organisations — Comhaltas and Belfast City Council — that I would be more than happy to support the event next year. However, with it being more than 12 months away, maybe they have not got the invites out just yet.
Promoting the event will clearly be the responsibility of Belfast City Council, but I have offered any assistance that the Department can give. We are happy to do that and to support organisations across Northern Ireland that want to promote the culture and music of the area. It is so important that the event is…
I met representatives from Belfast City Council and Comhaltas on 26 March, when I advised that I am happy to support the fleadh and look forward to working with partner organisations to ensure that it is a successful event.
That strategy will come forward shortly. It is important to note first of all that it will be an Executive strategy, because it is not something that my Department deals with alone. A number of barriers hold people back from getting into work, and some of those employment supports can be delivered through my…
Yes, absolutely. I have met many disabled people who have told me about their desire to get into work but also about the barriers that exist. We have 325,000 people in Northern Ireland who are economically inactive, 122,000 of whom have a disability or a long-term health condition. We need to make sure that supports…
We have a number of employment support schemes, some of which have been dependent on direct finance from the UK Government. I hope to be in a position very soon to come to the House and announce the budget decisions that I have made, but I believe in those programmes, first of all, because I believe in the dignity of…
My assessment is that, through the £28·9 million that my Department allocated in 2024-25, successful outcomes were delivered, but, if we are to address economic inactivity and see more disabled people thriving in work, we must significantly invest, increase the capacity of the existing provision and implement new…
The impact of sport in Northern Ireland is almost unquantifiable because the benefits are huge. Across the Departments in Northern Ireland, you will see the impacts, whether they are in Health, Education or, potentially, the justice system, of getting people, especially young people, involved in sport. The grassroots…
Absolutely. I am more than happy to congratulate Dungannon Swifts on their incredible victory. The Member has written to me to ask that I host a reception for the club in Parliament Buildings, which I am more than happy to do. She is absolutely right to highlight the importance of grassroots sport across Northern…
A total of 37 applications were submitted under the Northern Ireland Football Fund’s performance programme from 38 different clubs. One application was made jointly by two clubs, and one application was received from a local council in partnership with a performance club. Applications are being considered, and…
I have been consistent on the matter and have not trivialised it. As part of my discussions, I made it clear that I am looking to the future and that there is no role for violence or the threat of violence in our society. The Member should not need to ask that question, because I have been entirely consistent on the…
As the Member will be aware, it is up to the Arts Council to determine funding and everything around that on the basis of its policies. It has its equality and good relations policies, and it is only right that they be fully implemented. Where standards have fallen below what is expected, action should be taken. What…
The Member will be aware that the Arts Council is the primary body responsible for funding the arts in Northern Ireland. It has policies that help it work out where those boundaries and barriers are. For example, it has a good relations policy and an equality policy. As Minister for the arts, I want to make sure that…
I completely agree with the Member; in fact, it is not only right but our responsibility to call out such behaviour. There will always be things that people do in the arts sphere with which we disagree, but Kneecap's comments went far beyond anything that comes anywhere close to being artistic licence. It was the…