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.
The Member is right to raise infrastructure issues, and I have no doubt that those will come up again during Question Time, because one of the biggest drags that we face is not being able to progress with the building that we want to see. All of that will be part of the draft housing supply strategy, and I have…
It comes as no surprise that the Member raises again, as she frequently does, the issue of the need for more housing in rural areas, particularly in Fermanagh and South Tyrone. She is right to highlight the issues around hidden demand, which are more prevalent in rural areas. To identify and address those issues, the…
I am due to get the research paper to which the Member refers by the end of June; I have not received it yet. He is right to highlight that there have been significant difficulties in reaching the targets that have been set. Those targets have not been met for quite a few years: the information that I have is that, in…
That is important to me, because I also have responsibility for anti-poverty and fuel poverty issues, which go hand in hand. It is important that we make sure that all our homes are energy-efficient, whether they are in urban or rural areas. Not only does that help us to meet our climate change targets, but, more…
I am committed to ensuring the vitality and viability of our rural areas and to addressing rural housing need. One of my key priorities as Minister is the delivery of social housing. The delivery of social housing in rural areas presents significant challenges and often requires different solutions from those that…
I beg to introduce the Child Support Enforcement Bill [NIA 5/22-27], which is a Bill to make provision as to the enforcement of payments of particular amounts due by virtue of certain child support and maintenance legislation.
The draft Local Government (Remote Meetings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 That the draft Local Government (Remote Meetings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 be approved.
I, too, thank and congratulate Ms Brownlee for bringing the Adjournment debate. I will also mention the Royal Landing at the weekend, which was a fantastic event. The Member is very humble: she did not mention her involvement in that event, but it would not have happened without her. I am grateful to her and her team,…
The Member has been generous about interventions, and I appreciate that. I am trying to bring clarity to the debate. Certainly, the Department stands ready to help with explanation of any of the current legislation. The legislation that we have provides opportunities for homeowners to seek redress from any party,…
I thank the Member for giving way. On that point, to my knowledge seven cases have been identified by Derry City and Strabane District Council: six social homes that have received redress and one private home that, I think, was not eligible for redress because of when it was built. Those are the only cases that have…
I thank the Member for giving way. He will understand that there are certain things that are within my control and certain things that are not. I recognise the problems that many people in Donegal in particular have faced. Will the Member explain — I come at this sincerely and genuinely — what his amendment would do…
The Member is doing exactly what Daniel McCrossan did earlier; he is deflecting because there is no substance to the arguments. I ask the Member a question that is simple for anybody who has taken the time to understand what is in front of us today: what is the Member proposing in his amendment that is not already…
Before I address the amendment that Mr McCrossan and Mr Durkan tabled, I put on record my thanks to the Assembly, the Committee for Communities and the Executive for supporting the progress of the Bill through the House. I also offer my thanks to the Office of the Legislative Counsel for its rapid yet thorough advice…
I am happy to clarify to the Member and the Deputy Chair that that is not necessary, because the existing regulations cover those and they do not need to be specifically identified in order for that action to be taken. Where a material, product or structural design is known to lead to defective premises, there are…
I appreciate the Member's giving way, but, with respect, he has not answered the question of what legal effect the amendment would have. He is not creating an exclusive list of materials and saying, "It must be under this". He is saying, "Here is a list. I want you to go out and think of all the materials that can…
I appreciate the Member's giving way. I hope that he understands my sincerity in asking this question: what does he believe that the legal effect of the amendment would be? The building materials that he is talking about are already covered under building regulations. He wants the Department to specify a list of…
The Mesothelioma Lump Sum Payments (Conditions and Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 That the Mesothelioma Lump Sum Payments (Conditions and Amounts) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 be approved.
The Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 That the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024 be approved.
The Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 That the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order (Northern Ireland) 2024 be approved.
I will respond to Sian Mulholland's comments first. Although it is not directly affected by the regulations in front us, I am more than happy for officials to look into that issue, and I will come back to her with a response. I certainly agree with the tone and tenor of what she is saying, and I thank her for bringing…