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On a point of order, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. For clarity, that is not what I said, or, if I did say that, it is not what I meant to say. I said that it was not the primary drag on us. Right now, the primary drag is the funding. If the funding were in place, we would still be able to meet our targets. If I were…
However long that it takes. The SDLP believes that the current "threatened with homelessness" window of 28 days is simply too narrow, and I do not think that anyone can or would dispute that, although they can oppose attempts to widen it, particularly when we consider that, under the Private Tenancies Act 2022, as we…
I meant the brilliant collective brains of the Assembly, because there is certainly no brain on the Committee as brilliant as yours, Mr Brett. The Bill deserves thorough scrutiny.
There was a wee bit of merit in what the Member said, even though he picked up wrongly what Mr Allen had said. Surely, therefore, having wider debate and discussion on the proposals in the Bill, their impact and unintended consequences that we are able to foresee — even with all our brilliant brains put together, we…
To come back on the point that the Member for North Belfast made, perhaps he misunderstood the point that I made, which was that, if we were to move to 60 days and a negative homeless decision was made, the individual would be able to challenge that within that period rather than beyond the 28-day period, which is…
I appreciate the Member's giving way. As I am not on the Committee for Communities, I will not have the opportunity to raise this point. Representing North Belfast, as I do, I deal with homelessness quite regularly, as you can imagine. An unintended consequence came to my mind when Mr Allen raised the point about the…
At its heart, this is a small but important proposal. For a parent trying to keep a roof over their children's heads or an individual who has finally reached the point of having to ask for help, the additional 32 days could make a monumental difference. It allows time for people to make alternative arrangements and…
From the outset, I confirm that the Ulster Unionist Party will support the Bill at Second Stage. It is narrow in scope and seeks to make what we see as a modest change, extending the period in which someone is considered "threatened with homelessness" from 28 days to 60 days, as we have heard from other Members. In…
I thank the Bill sponsor for bringing the Bill forward. I know what it is like to go through the process of a private Member's Bill, so, Colm, I wish you well. Your Bill is short, but it could make a significant difference to people's lives. Second Stage is important, as it helps the Assembly to fully understand what…
I appreciate the Member's giving way. Perhaps I can provide some clarity on the Housing Executive's estimates of the cost of the measure. They are estimates, but it is useful to know that it would cost £2·5 million. I concur with Mrs Cameron's comments: it should not be done in a piecemeal fashion. The measures are…
I have asked the Department and the Housing Executive repeatedly to advise on the additional cost. I have not heard that figure mentioned. I recognise what the Member said at the start of her remarks about the other measures, and I fully agree that those are needed. They remain needed and should have been introduced…
I welcome the opportunity to speak at the Second Stage of the Housing (Amendment) Bill. At the outset, I say that I do not question Mr Gildernew's intention behind the Bill. We all want the same good things. We all want people who are at risk of losing their home to receive help as early as possible. Preventing…
Go raibh maith agat. I thank the Minister for his update to that effect. Recently, the Minister announced a long-overdue, full-scale review of current homelessness legislation to include the examination of a statutory duty to prevent homelessness as exists in England, Scotland and Wales. I have always said that a more…
I am grateful that the Member gave way on that point. I have been working with urgency to resolve that as soon as possible. It has proven to be complex, but we are now in a position where we expect the solution imminently. That will mean that we can start acquisitions without further delay, even if there are…
I beg to move Go raibh maith agat. There is no denying the fact that the North is experiencing a chronic housing and homelessness crisis. We know that because the publicly available data released by the Department for Communities tells us as much. New figures released in the past number of weeks show that the number…
That was a very feisty debate. I started off with dry and procedural, but everybody else just kicked off and rehearsed the Second Stage debate. I will try to just give you dry and procedural, and maybe we will get the Bill over the line. I do not think that there is any value in going through everybody's contributions…
They are very technical amendments, so any Members who were to divide on them would be dancing on the head of a pin. You were trying to return to the principles of the Bill. Your Minister — You can laugh, but not a single amendment has come from the DUP Benches. You did not even engage at Committee Stage. You kept…
The Member seems to have a problem with the fact that we are not opposing any of the amendments, but the clarity that I was giving him on our position is clarity that was sought by his colleague in front of him when she questioned the Chair. I was giving the position that Members on the Sinn Féin Benches were asking…