Debate contribution: Budget Allocations 2025-26

Debate contribution by Mr Gordon Lyons on 2 June 2025.

MLA

Mr Gordon Lyons

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

2 June 2025

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Ministerial Statement

Heading

Budget Allocations 2025-26

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4980734

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I wish to make a statement to the Assembly regarding my Department's 2025-26 initial Budget allocations. The work that my Department does is transformational. It impacts on people across Northern Ireland and delivers positive outcomes, often to those who are in greatest need. Housing, the arts, culture; sport, benefits and pensions, child support, the historic environment, urban regeneration, local government, social inclusion and libraries and museums touch the lives of almost everyone in Northern Ireland. I know that there is so much more to be done. I want to do more. I am operating in a continually constrained budgetary environment, but I am determined to use to best effect the money that has been secured. Pressures will, of course, remain right across my Department. I have no doubt that, today, Members will set out all the areas in which they would like me to spend more. However, I must operate within the budget that I have been allocated, and that is why, this year, I am doing things differently.

Let me turn first to housing. I have made it clear that addressing homelessness and increasing the supply of housing is one of my top priorities. That is why I have delivered a housing supply strategy, launched an affordable rent scheme, allocated £10 million for loans to acquire move-on accommodation, secured cross-party consensus on the need for borrowing powers for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE), removed intimidation points to level the playing field and ensured that Housing Executive reserves are used to buy homes to address pressures on temporary accommodation, which will realise savings of up to £75 million over the next seven years. However, there is more to do. I am therefore pleased to announce that I am proposing an additional allocation to homelessness and the Supporting People programme of £3·7 million above the 2024-25 budget position. In addition, I am proposing £2·8 million capital to the new foundation project to move forward with securing 110 units of accommodation to support young people leaving care. That is not just about providing shelter; it is about restoring dignity and hope to those who have fallen on hard times and preventing those people falling into hardship. However, in order to tackle that issue properly, we need more homes. Social housing is crucial, as it provides affordable, stable housing options for those who might otherwise struggle in the private rental market. The inclusion of housing as one of the key pillars of the Programme for Government (PFG) shows the widespread support to deliver affordable, sustainable and quality housing. My proposed budget of £63 million will facilitate the start of approximately 900 to 1,000 new-build social homes. That is on top of the £105 million from last year for pre-commitments to housebuilding. That is not enough, however. Last year, the Assembly declared that there is a housing crisis in Northern Ireland, yet we are left in a position where we are funding less than 50% of the Programme for Government's housing target. Last year was even worse, with my budget allocation allowing for only 400 new starts. I am proud to say that, by the end of the year, that had increased to 1,502. We will put the same effort into driving up those figures this year as we did last year, and we will continue to make the case for that at every possible opportunity. However, it is not enough to simply ask for more money. We need to do things differently. That is why I will bring proposals to the Executive shortly on how we can do more with the money that we have to build more homes. I look forward to working with other Ministers, the Housing Executive and housing associations on that. I also want to increase opportunities and life chances for everyone in Northern Ireland. Far too many people, and, indeed, generations, are stuck in a cycle of welfare dependency. That should be a cause of concern for us all. We should have greater ambition for our people. There are far too many economically inactive people who want to get into work but just need some help to do so. I want their talents, potential and opportunities to be maximised. Therefore, I am also pleased to announce that I will invest in a new multimillion-pound employment programme that will support all age groups and tackle the barriers to economic activity. I will make an announcement to the Assembly on the details of that in due course. It will be one of the most extensive job programmes of recent times.

We also need to continue to support those who need it most. Therefore, I propose to maintain the discretionary support grant budget at £25·5 million, but we must ensure that that fund is not abused and goes to those who are genuinely in need. Therefore, I will introduce reforms to protect that money from fraud and thereby protect those who really need it. My Department's arms-length bodies (ALBs) play a vital role in helping us to deliver our objectives. Despite the constrained financial position facing my Department in 2025-26, I propose that my Department's ALBs receive an additional £3·7 million general allocation in 2025-26 above their 2024-25 funding level. Furthermore, I propose an additional allocation to National Museums NI and Libraries NI to maintain operational stability and ensure continued public access to those key cultural and educational institutions. The proposed allocation will not fund all pressures faced but will ease service delivery pressures in 2025-26. Year-on-year budget cuts have placed increasing pressure on those institutions, threatening their ability to serve the public effectively. To reverse that trend and to secure the future of our libraries, I propose capital funding of over £1 million: £750,000 towards the replacement of Enniskillen library, without which major health and safety concerns present a high risk of potential closure of the facility. I also allocate £200,000 to Newtownards library. I also propose capital funding to the Northern Ireland Museums Council of £30,000 for the museum collection fund and £80,000 for small capital grants. Grants to local museums for the acquisition of specimens to add to their collection or to address urgent needs in the storage, conservation and rationalisation of collections will be welcome news for the sector. I also want to ensure that National Museums gets back to a stable operating base after many years of constrained funding. Therefore, I propose an opening resource budget of £20 million alongside £3 million of capital. That capital funding will allow investment of nearly £1·5 million in the Ulster Museum store and in exhibit buildings and gallery works. Turning to the Arts Council, I propose capital funding for several programmes, including £750,000 for musical instruments, so that everyone has the chance to learn, to play and to perform, connecting more people with the arts. That money has helped individuals, bands, professional and non-professional groups, primary schools, creative arts centres and talent development organisations. I said that I wanted to get more people involved in the arts. This year, we were able to help 4,500 people to do just that, and I want to see that continue. I also said that I would ensure a better balance of arts funding to every community and corner of Northern Ireland. Therefore, I am also pleased to announce a £500,000 small capital grants programme to support local arts venues and creative spaces, as well as funding for artists in residence, to each borough and district council. Today, I also acknowledge the vital role provided by the voluntary and community sector. Those organisations create an enormously important social value through community engagement, job creation and overall improvement in people's quality of life. Given the rising cost pressures facing the sector, I propose that the voluntary and community sector funding increases by £2·8 million on the Department's 2024-25 funding level. I understand that that funding offers a lifeline but not a solution, and I understand that the sector continues to operate under immense strain. Capital funding of over £4 million will be allocated to neighbourhood renewal to support community and voluntary sector partners and will deliver funding for projects that support communities. I am delighted to announce support for several projects, including a new youth hub for Ardoyne Youth Enterprise; a new-build community centre for a local community organisation, Glencairn Community Partnership; and the redevelopment of Bloomfield Community Association's centre in east Belfast. I am also pleased to be able to support Ballee Community Group in Ballymena to provide an outdoor canopy to cover the children's play area there. Capital investment in our community infrastructure is vital. Their facilities are the heartbeat of every community in Northern Ireland. I recognise that and, as a result, will make a significant announcement on 26 June for a new community infrastructure grant that will be transformational to the voluntary and community sector. In addition to the capital funding that I have highlighted, I am initiating and funding a wide range of regeneration projects. The larger projects include the Glengormley public realm project, which will see a total contribution of over £2·5 million as part of a wider funding package. The £3 million Shankill gateway public realm scheme will also begin this summer and will take approximately 12 months to complete. That scheme will bring much-needed improvements to enhance the linkage of the Shankill community to Belfast city centre. In tandem, the £5 million public realm works adjacent to the city walls will deliver on improvements to several streets in the historic Londonderry city centre. I am also pleased to announce that I will invest £1·6 million, this year, in essential conservation works at Carrickfergus Castle. A significant part of that funding will be directed at enhancing the visitor experience of and improving access to and within the castle. That will realise the castle's status as a world-class attraction, bringing more visitors to Carrickfergus and establishing it as the gateway to the Causeway coastal route. We must protect our heritage assets, and I will do everything that I can to ensure that we do. Finally, on regeneration, I am delighted to confirm that I will make a major announcement tomorrow at 2.30 pm on the development of Queen's Parade in Bangor. I move now to sport. We know that sport plays a vital role in communities and is critically important to our young people. The provision of places to play and train is one of the concerns on which I get lobbied most frequently. I know the impact that a lack of facilities has, and I am determined to act on it. One of the ways that we can do that is by ensuring that we maximise the use of the schools estate. To that end, the Your School Your Club programme has been effective in making sure that improvements are made to school sporting infrastructure that can be of benefit to the school and the local community. Last year, I invested £500,000 in that programme. It has been transformational, but so much more can be done. Therefore, I am pleased to announce that, this year, I propose that the budget will be £3 million. Working alongside my colleague Paul Givan, my ambition is for every post-primary school in Northern Ireland to have a 3G pitch and sporting facilities that can benefit local communities. Building on last year's investment, I am making additional capital funding available to help improve safety at motor sport events. That is crucial in helping to ensure that racing can be as safe as possible. We must also restore confidence in a welfare system that is fair, transparent and focused on the right people. My Department's latest published estimates for 2023 show a loss of £240·3 million due to customer fraud, customer error and official error. At a time of great uncertainty, following many announcements from the Labour Government, we must ensure that every pound that we spend is spent well and goes to those who need it most. Many of my Department's stakeholders are feeling the pinch from the general cost-of-living increase, rising prices, increased taxes or inflation. Now is the time to cut our cloth and ensure that our budgets are spent well. That also applies to me, so my final announcement is to confirm to the House that, as of this year, I will review all vacancies that sit within the Department for Communities' baseline. More than 1,000 of those posts have not been filled due to consecutive bids in Budget rounds not being met. I have decided to lead the way on the drive for efficiency. It is right that, as Minister for the largest Department, I show leadership and make that move. I look forward to engaging with trade unions and departmental officials in due course. I understand that there will be concerns and questions about the proposed allocations, but I emphasise that the decisions were not made lightly. My commitment to the House and to the communities, people and organisations that my Department supports is to improve the lives of people in Northern Ireland, maximise the impact with limited resources and ensure that every pound spent is a step towards a better future for the people of Northern Ireland. Therefore, I commend the statement to the House.

It is clear that the Member did not listen to anything that I said. It is always easy for the Member to put his angry head on, but he never comes forward with any proposals or solutions. I am taking the issue seriously. After you take away the inescapable pressures, 80% of my remaining capital budget is going towards housing. Last year, I was in a similar position and did not have enough money to build all the social homes that I wanted to, but we found other ways of doing that; additional bids were made. If the Member had listened to my statement, he would have heard that I am looking to do things differently. I am looking at how we can ensure that public land is best used so that we can build more homes. I have brought forward a housing supply strategy. I have secured Executive agreement on the need to ensure that we again have a Housing Executive that has borrowing powers. I am taking action where I can and putting the money where it needs to be. If the Member has any other ideas, I would love to hear them, but he offered none in his speech. I will continue with the progress that I have made. I will continue to deliver, and I will not be distracted by the Member.

I can certainly give the assurance that we will do everything that we can to support those who are most in need. You can see that already in the work of the Department. When the Labour Government announced last year that they were, disgracefully, removing the winter fuel payment for many of our pensioners who were in genuine need, I secured money and delivered that for tens of thousands of households across Northern Ireland. I have brought forward the anti-poverty strategy. I am aware that the Member has had a briefing on that. He will also be aware of the work that is being done on the fuel poverty strategy. I want to make sure that we put in place real action that makes a difference in people's lives. We will continue to lobby the UK Government to make sure that they, too, provide the support that is needed.

Yes, I can. Many in the House were sceptical of the move that I made to ensure that those who were found guilty of benefit fraud were named. I am glad that that decision occurred, because, over the past number of weeks, we have seen many individuals who have been responsible for defrauding the system of not £5,000, £6,000 or £7,000 but tens of thousands of pounds. It is right, therefore, that we take a strong line and say that it is not acceptable to take money to which you are clearly not entitled.

I am determined to take action that will make a difference. I have submitted a request to Executive colleagues about how we can better tackle the issue, because it is not acceptable that we lose £240 million a year in this way. I want to see the right money going to the right people at the right time, and others in the House should support me in that.

2,747 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:40 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification