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Absolutely. Most people in the States and elsewhere will be aware of the Famine and post-Famine emigration to the US, and the impact that some of those emigrants had, especially in New England and the north-east. If you were to go back 100 years previously, however, it was people from Ulster who really made the…
I echo the comments and the congratulations to the Minister on his engagement with the US Administration on the huge historical and cultural links between Northern Ireland and the United States. Will the Minister agree that, quite often, the Scots-Irish/Ulster-Scots connection has been lost or distorted in that…
Yes, absolutely. I encourage all our councils to get involved. I think that a number of them are doing that. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council obviously has links to Chester Arthur and Andrew Jackson. Clearly, the links that we have in Fermanagh and Omagh are told at the Ulster American Folk Park, about which I was…
When I was a Belfast city councillor, we were very proud of our links to our sister city, Nashville, Tennessee, which also happens to be the home of Andrew Jackson, to whom the Minister's constituency has strong links. Will the Minister therefore encourage our councils to get involved in that special celebration?
Absolutely; those presidents were Chester Arthur and William McKinley. I am keen to support celebrations that help to promote those links that exist between what is now Northern Ireland and the United States. I am keen to see those celebrations take place, because we should be very proud of the connections that we…
First, I congratulate the Minister on his recent trip to the US to promote Northern Ireland. Minister, I think of villages such as Dervock and Cullybackey in my constituency that have proud links to previous American presidents, as well as Coagh in Mid Ulster, which has proud links to Vice President Vance. What type…
The Department provides funding on an annual basis to all local councils for community festivals through the community festivals fund. Community groups that wish to mark the occasion may be eligible to apply for support through their local council. I am continuing to explore other opportunities through my Department…
Absolutely. I am more than happy to put on record my thanks to the Member for his many decades of service to football in Northern Ireland. I am aware of the importance of grassroots football, especially for young people, and the extent of it right across Northern Ireland. I am very keen to make sure that we move…
I thank the Minister for his answer. As somebody who is heavily involved in youth, junior, intermediate and senior football right across my constituency and the neighbouring constituency of North Antrim, I ask the Minister when the call for applications from grassroots football will be opened. Does he share my belief…
The Irish FA is developing capital funding to modernise grassroots facilities on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) through the IFA DCMS grassroots facilities investment fund 2023-25. I welcome the recent announcement of a UK-wide £100 million funding package to upgrade grassroots…
I am sorry. I was trying to find the translation of that, so I do not think that I heard all of it. If there was an invite, I would be more than happy to take up that invitation and use it as an opportunity to highlight Belfast and Northern Ireland on the world stage.
Le déanaí, labhair ceannaire an pháirtí, Claire Hanna, as Gaeilge in Westminster, í ag cur fáilte roimh Fhleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. Chuir sí cuireadh ar an Phríomh-Aire, atá ag dúil le freastal ar an fhleadh. Will the Minister attend?
Yes, absolutely; in fact, the marching band tradition in Northern Ireland was mentioned, and its richness and significance was highlighted. Belfast attained UNESCO City of Music status in November 2021. That was because of the wide range of music and cultural traditions that we have. The marching bands are an…
The Minister has more or less covered my question. I take it that the Minister will agree that the fleadh should have representation from the wide range of culture and music that exists across Northern Ireland.
That is exactly what we discussed during last week's meeting. We want to ensure that all traditions and types of music are represented. We want to ensure that, on that stage, we get an opportunity to showcase not just Belfast but Northern Ireland and our rich cultural and musical heritage.
I thank the Minister for the answer; it is very encouraging. Having spoken to local Comhaltas branches, I know that there is a desire to reach out to all aspects of traditional music in Northern Ireland. What can the Minister and his Department do to further encourage the sharing of musical traditions at such events…
I met representatives from Belfast City Council and Comhaltas last week. The delivery of that large-scale event requires commitment from many partnership organisations. I am pleased that the Arts Council — an arm's-length body of my Department — is available and more than willing to assist with advice and input as the…
The Member will be aware that the Executive brought in welfare mitigations that helped to deal with some of the most egregious of those welfare reforms and the impact that they had on people in Northern Ireland. Mitigations were brought in for the bedroom tax, for example, because we simply did not have the capacity…
I thank the Minister for his answer. In 2015, the Minister's party — the DUP — along with Sinn Féin and the Alliance Party tripped through the Lobbies together to hand welfare powers over to London. To what extent has that vote impacted on our ability to help the most vulnerable people and mitigate the harshest of…
A statutory report on the operation of welfare reform, as provided for in the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015, was laid before the Assembly in December 2018. My Department also published an evaluation of welfare reforms, as detailed in the welfare reform composite evaluation framework.
As I have outlined to the House, there is a mechanism in place that may have been able to help in the case mentioned by Mr Durkan. That may not have been well known in that instance — I do not know whether they went down that route — but there are a number of options available. Sometimes, those are on a discretionary…
Will the Minister confirm what action he can take to ensure that people with limited capacity, and their carers, are informed about securing the lasting power of attorney, enduring power of attorney, deputyship or a Court of Protection order?
Generally, tenancy agreements cannot be signed by an individual who is deemed to lack capacity. However, there is potential for consideration to be given, through the Office of Care and Protection, to someone being authorised to sign a tenancy agreement on behalf of the individual who lacks capacity. That needs to be…
I thank the Minister for his answer. Minister, a young lady with autism and a severe learning disability in my constituency is in temporary housing courtesy of the Housing Executive. She was recently offered a bungalow, which came as a great joy to her, only to have that taken away when it was determined that her…
Tenancy agreements are legal contracts. Supported housing is provided for people with housing support needs who cannot live independently. That may include people whose support needs are such that they do not have the capacity to enter into a legal contract.