Every imported question, contribution and motion, with its classification. Unflagged, uncertain and not-yet-analysed records are all included so the analysis can be checked independently.
I fully appreciate and understand that and recognise the Member's passion for the centre. That is why Sport NI is undertaking extensive engagement with stakeholders to determine the most appropriate way forward. We want to see a way forward for it. We want to make sure that we have that in place. I have asked them to…
Minister, thank you for that update. The centre is the only one of its kind on this island, and we are very privileged to have it in Northern Ireland and in my constituency. Does the Minister agree that having the opportunity to do activities such as rock climbing, hillwalking, canoeing and kayaking in the heart of…
The Member will be aware of what happened to the Tollymore centre and the damage that was done. Sport NI has advised that the running costs of the facility have steadily increased in recent years and that income has declined. The current operating model is financially unsustainable. The review is now under way, in…
I am more than happy to go to North Antrim at any stage. I look forward to that visit. It is important to highlight what we have been able to achieve. I saw some Members shaking their head and tutting when I was listing the Department's achievements, but it is important to note that we are making a difference and…
Those are all good things, and we welcome them. We will support the Minister when he does positive things. However, there are areas in my constituency where it feels as though that is not trickling down and where it is not being felt. I was in two of them: Drumtara and the Queen Street area. People there would like to…
I am more than happy to do that. Of course, we were able to deliver winter fuel support in North Antrim, and over 10,700 people were impacted on there. I am pleased that I was able to push forward match funding for Bushmills courthouse. There was £1·37 million for voluntary and community organisations. There was £1·5…
I am glad to hear that, Minister. When will third-party organisations that deliver programmes to support people with disabilities in work find out when funding may be available and for how long?
That is an area of concern. I have frequent representations from constituents and colleagues in the House about Housing Executive maintenance. I want to make sure that we can have people living in the homes that they want to live in, to the standard that they want. Some of those issues will be addressed through the…
I welcome the Minister's answer, and I assure him of the Ulster Unionist Party's support, should he bring that forward. That is the new stock, but I have explained before that there are significant problems with the maintenance, quality of maintenance and access to maintenance of some of the existing stock. Will the…
That is something that I have been working on since I came into office. It is critical for us to build more homes but also to preserve the stock that we have. Because of the lack of investment there is a problem. I have written to the Department of Finance, following an engagement that I had with the Secretary of…
I fully recognise and understand the concern that those involved with those two clubs face, and I recognise the concern that has been expressed. From my point of view, we had put through the process that is currently in place, and, obviously, there was a different marking scheme for clubs that did not have their own…
Gabh mo leithscéal. I certainly did not slur any officials, nor did I slur any clubs. Obviously, any and all clubs that were unsuccessful will be unhappy, but there is a consensus across all clubs and communities that Institute and Ards have been particularly hard done by in the process. What plans are there to help…
I did not pick up what the Member said at the start. As for releasing the information, I am happy to consider doing that. It is not what we normally do, simply because of the process, the names involved and the rankings of the clubs. Out of respect to them, we do not normally release information. However, some have…
I am certainly happy to look at the individual development that he talks about. I do not know enough about it to comment at this minute, but I am happy to chase that up.
Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. Legahory in Craigavon has footpaths, street lighting, sewerage, entrance and exit roads but not a single house. Will the Minister encourage the Housing Executive to give that land to developers so that they can develop housing on it?
Private developers can use vacant Housing Executive land to develop social housing but only in collaboration with a registered housing association. Housing Executive land has featured in the development programme, with 31 units being developed by associations in collaboration with private contractors on Housing…
The consultation process is there for a reason: to hear views. We will take on board the views of all those who have commented on the draft anti-poverty strategy. Ultimately, I will need to get approval from the Executive. They signed off on the draft strategy. All members of the Executive were asked to contribute…
Given the many voices from the sector expressing serious concerns that the draft strategy is not fit for purpose in tackling poverty, will the Minister commit to working with his partners in the anti-poverty co-design group to significantly strengthen the strategy into something that will make a lasting impact?
It is ambitious, and we set that out in the strategy. It will be followed by action plans. It will be agile, because it will be a 10-year plan and we want to make sure that it can deal with other issues as they arise. However, I am committed to making sure that we have something in place that is deliverable and…
Thank you for that, Minister. I hope that the strategy is long-term; it has certainly been long delayed. Will it be sufficiently ambitious to meet the needs and the difficulties that many in our community have to live with?
The public consultation went live on the DFC website on 17 June and closed on 19 September. We are analysing and considering all the responses received throughout the consultation process. I will share the outcome of the analysis with my Executive colleagues, and we will take forward any further development as…
The exact reason why I want the legislation is so that we have additional powers to deal with that issue. The people who should be moved are those who cause problems, not those who are affected by them.
What are you doing to address that? What engagement has your Department had with the Housing Executive to ensure that transfer requests for that reason are recorded as a reportable category in the housing management system?