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.
Again, that is not a difficult question to answer, especially when there is a constituency link. The Member will not be surprised to hear that I do not disagree with him. Of course, I absolutely want to congratulate them, and I look forward to seeing further success. In fact, I will be meeting them very soon.
That is certainly an important part of the work that we do in the Department for Communities. Monitoring the impact of our work is very important, and we want to make sure that we have robust data when it comes to measuring the impact of the Executive's anti-poverty strategy in the short, medium and longer term. To…
Poverty has costs to the individual and to society as a whole. Research shows clear evidence that poverty affects a child's start in life. It increases the risk of poor health and well-being and of below-average educational outcomes, and it can impact on development in a child's early years. It is equally clear that…
Although that matter has not come across my desk to date, I will be more than happy to get additional information or meet the Member to discuss it further. Whether people from Northern Ireland have to go to another jurisdiction or even to a town that is further away from them in order to compete or train, I do not…
Yes. The Member is absolutely right to raise the issue because we are in an era of constrained budgets, so it is important that we spend every pound as wisely as we can and in a way that most benefits people in Northern Ireland. Those are really difficult decisions. None of the budget process was easy. We have many…
The Supporting People programme is a vital service that provides invaluable housing support to vulnerable people, enabling them to have better quality of life, live more independently in the community and maintain their tenancies. My Department works closely with the Housing Executive on resource allocation to analyse…
Yes, absolutely. I wish him all the best — not just him, but all those from Northern Ireland who are competing in the games. Rhys is a fantastic athlete and an incredible competitor. He has had huge success in Europe and at the Commonwealth Games and is an inspiration to many people across Northern Ireland. Of course,…
Over the past three financial years, up to March 2024, Sport NI has issued Exchequer funding of almost £39·4 million and National Lottery funding of just over £17 million. That funding consisted of 3,394 grant awards to over 1,963 bodies, which included grassroots sports governing bodies. In 2023-24, Sport NI invested…
Temporary accommodation is not suitable for any family, especially in the circumstances that the Member described. If she would like to meet me afterwards or to contact my office, I will make sure that we look into that and see what we might be able to do.
We have an immediate issue with the use of non-standard temporary accommodation. It is not good for families — they need the security of their own homes — and it is very expensive. There are far too many households in temporary accommodation — almost 5,000 — and, on any night, there are between 400 and 500 in hotels…
Again, I make the point that, when it comes to the links that we are trying to exploit and develop here, it is not just about language. I am certainly not trying to pit one against the other. I want to make sure that Northern Ireland benefits from this. That is what I intend to do, especially when it comes to the…
First, I do not think that this is just a language issue; it goes into heritage, history and culture as well. Secondly, I do not think that it is about excluding anybody or pitting one against the other. We have very distinct links with the United States that have not been exploited very much. We see the influence of…
Yes, absolutely. I agree with everything that the Member has said. First, I think that councils play a really important role in helping to foster those social and cultural links. The sister cities projects are a great example of how you can establish those, and I think of Belfast and Nashville in particular. I also…
The contribution and influence that the early Ulster-Scots migrants made to the traditions, values and history of the United States of America is immeasurable. From the American Revolution, including the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the war of independence, through to the establishment and…
First of all, it is important to note that Casement Park is separate from the Northern Ireland football fund. Those are two separate issues. They are not linked to each other. The Member may not be happy with what I am about to say, but it has not changed since the last time we discussed it in the Chamber. The…
That work is ongoing. We hope to provide additional funding to help those that want to progress their case. If there are specific clubs or issues that the Member has in mind, I will be more than happy to provide that information.
The criteria are still being finalised. I hope that the Member listened to the speech that I made at Windsor Park, although, unfortunately, it may have been overshadowed somewhat by an announcement that the Prime Minister made on the same day. We will be setting out a number of criteria against which clubs will be…
First, I put it on record that I am sure that every constituency across Northern Ireland has fantastic football clubs that do fantastic work, and I am sure that they are all in need of resource. The Member mentions her constituency and makes an important point about the council. In many cases, councils have been…
Yes, I am more than happy to meet the Member in his constituency. He has already had me down to visit a club or two, and I am happy to go again. He highlights an important issue — the lack of provision in East Belfast — but, unfortunately, the issue is not unique to East Belfast. It is very much the case in East…
The Northern Ireland football fund — formerly called the "subregional stadia programme" — will provide investment for football at all levels. I want to roll out the first funding awards as quickly as possible. However, it is important that the funding is disbursed in a fair and transparent manner. Therefore, my…
Yes, I did so in my engagement with the Finance Minister prior to the Budget's being set. In conversations with Ministers, I made clear the impact that that would have. I am not sure whether I gave an exact number for the impact that it would have on housebuilding, but it was always clear that a constrained capital…
When I first came into office, this was one of the first things that I raised with officials, because we are not in a good enough place right now when it comes to housing. I fear that we will be dealing with constrained budgets for the foreseeable future, and the status quo just is not acceptable. We need to do things…
First of all, I will say that it has been a disappointing last number of weeks with budget allocations. I accept that no Minister in any Department is happy with the budget that they have received. I am particularly disappointed with the budget that we have because, frankly, starting 400 social homes this year is not…
As I said at a Communities Committee meeting in April and at the all-party group on homelessness in May, I am reviewing the housing supply strategy. I will take that forward as quickly as possible, and I am working on it now. I have also been working closely with my officials to update the strategy to ensure that it…