Debate contribution: Communities Papers: Executive Blockage
Debate contribution by Mr Gordon Lyons on .
- MLA
- Mr Gordon Lyons
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 29 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Communities Papers: Executive Blockage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5761474
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I do. There are things that we are not allowing to progress out of the Executive. The reason that we do not want them to is that we believe that they would be harmful to the people of Northern Ireland. Take the so-called good jobs Bill, for example. We share the view of every business organisation in Northern Ireland that it would be detrimental to jobs and to the economy. Sinn Féin's opposition to my proposals is inexplicable, however. The First Minister is simply blocking them because they are coming from me, not because of any disagreement that she has with the proposals. Why on earth would anybody want to block a paper that would deal with fraud in the welfare system? Why on earth would anyone not want to ensure that we have the funding that we need to make good on a commitment in the Programme for Government on the number of social homes that we want to build? Why on earth would anyone want to block a paper that would allow us to tackle homelessness properly by funding it properly? Why on earth would anyone want to let the scourge of antisocial behaviour continue to wreak havoc on communities and clog up social housing for those who need it? That is the reality of the situation. The issues are not being allowed on to the Executive agenda for discussion and conversation, yet Sinn Féin has the cheek to say that it is this side of the House that is causing blockages in the system.
257 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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