Gordon Lyons

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall making a statement on welfare reform in the House of Commons on Tuesday March 18, 2025.

‘Stormont will not stop benefits cuts if passed by Government’

Morning View

Editorial: Ministers should follow Lyons' lead on the influence of lobby groups

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said aid for benefit cuts is unaffordable.

Minister: Stormont would need £150m it doesn't have to help with benefit cuts

Gordon Lyons in Washington with the copy of the early 1776 News Letter edition, reporting the Declaration of Independence, which he presented to the Smithsonian Institution

Minister announces partnership with historical institutions of Washington

Donald Trump with Emma Little-Pengelly and Gordon Lyons at the Capitol Hill St Patrick's Day lunch event on Wednesday March 12 2025. Picture by Kelvin Boyes/Press Eye

Ben Lowry: US visit was minor triumph for unionists who went to American capital

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and Communities Minister Gordon Lyons lay a wreath at the grave of Field Marshal Sir John Dill.

DUP lay wreath at US grave of Ulster war hero who brokered special arrangement

Causeway Coast and Glens and the organisers confirmed that the tournament will go ahead. CREDIT PFCY

Portrush youth football tournament to go ahead

Gordons Lyons said, during his trip to Washington along with DFM Emma Little Pengelly to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington, that he hoped to attend a GAA match this seaso

Gordon Lyons commits to attending GAA match amid criticism

Communities minister Gordon Lyons said there were delays with the rebuild of the west Belfast GAA stadium long before he came into office

Casement Park rebuild not being held back because of me – communities minister

Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly presenting US President Donald Trump with a personalized flag from Royal Portrush Golf Club, at the US Capitol in Washington DC. Issue date: Wednesday March 12, 2025.

Donald Trump presented with Royal Portrush Golf Club pennant

Pensioners are having fewer meals, turning down their heating and visiting libraries to keep warm because of cuts to their winter fuel allowance, a report issued two months ago said. Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Pensioners to get fuel payout next week as Stormont makes up for axed benefit

An elderly woman

Payment date for £100 fuel support payment for pensioner households announced

Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly and Communities Minister Gordon Lyons at the Smithsonian museum in Washington. Also pictured are Professor Margaret Topping, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Global Engagement, Queen’s University Belfast, Kathryn Thompson, Chief Executive National Museums NI, Dr Lonnie Bunch III, Secretary, Smithsonian Institution and Dr Anthea Hartig, Director of the National Museum of American History. Photo:Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.

Focus on NI-USA links as DUP ministers head to Washington for St Patrick's Day

Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly with the UK's Ambassador to the United States, Lord Mandelson. Photo: DUP/PA Wire

Mandelson as US ambassador a huge opportunity for NI, says Little-Pengelly

Secretary of State Hilary Benn has been challenged on why the UK government is considering making up the £150m shortfall in revised plans to renovate Casement Park in west Belfast, which is currently derelict.

Benn pressed over extra cash for Casement's £150m shortfall

A subsequent proposal to transform Casement into a venue to host matches for the Euro 2028 tournament in the UK and Ireland collapsed due to funding

NI Secretary and Stormont Communities minister to meet over Casement Park
Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn is due to meet with the Stormont Communities Minister over the next steps to redevelop Casement Park.
Rebecca Black, PA

Marking the announcement of £1.2m from the Department for Communities for the redevelopment of the former Austins building in Londonderry, are Minister Gordon Lyons, Rev Robert Miller and Helen Quigley from the Inner City Trust

Stormont to pay for Austins building to be bought in Londonderry

Marking the announcement of £1.2m from the Department for Communities for the redevelopment of the former Austins building in Londonderry, are Minister Gordon Lyons, Rev Robert Miller and Helen Quigley from the Inner City Trust

£1.2million grant to purchase former 'iconic' Northern Ireland department store

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons MLA in the Great Hall of Parliament Buildings at Stormont in Belfast.

Stormont is in breach of legal duty on anti-poverty strategy says judge

Undated handout photo issued by Department for Communities of (left to right) Chair of Maple & May Board Robin Hawe, Maple & May Property Manager Deirdre Steele, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons, Group Director of Development Maple & May Jon Anderson and Vice Chair of the Maple & May Board Helen Harrison. The Communities Minister has announced that Maple & May, a subsidiary of the Choice Housing association, will deliver the three hundred homes which are to be constructed in the first phase of a new affordable rent scheme for Northern Ireland

300 homes to be built under new affordable rent scheme

A photo of the Belfast Union Workhouse taken in 1909, sourced from the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland's collection.

Call for memorial to Belfast 19th century workhouse dead

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons MLA in the Great Hall of Parliament Buildings at Stormont in Belfast

"Absolutely false" that the DUP did not condemn anti-GAA signs: Gordon Lyons

Eoin Tennyson accused Emma Little-Pengelly of sitting on papers

Little-Pengelly is holding up delivery in Stormont Executive – Tennyson

An aerial view shows some redevelopment works at Casement Park stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland on March 19, 2024 (photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

'Time to cancel Casement project' says TUV as spending so far reaches £17m

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons MLA in the Great Hall of Parliament Buildings at Stormont in Belfast

Gordon Lyons reveals that £17m has been spent so far on Casement Park

The Irish Football Association today confirmed details of its plans to create a new state-of-the-art, multi-million-pound National Football Centre located on a 50-acre site opposite the renowned Galgorm near Ballymena. Pictured with Gordon Lyons, Minister for Communities of Northern Ireland are (left to right): Aaron Hughes, Technical Director, Irish Football Association; Patrick Nelson, Chief Executive Officer, Irish Football Association; Colin Johnston, Managing Director, Galgorm; Conrad Kirkwood, President, Irish Football Association; Michael O’Neill, Northern Ireland Senior Men’s Manager, Irish Football Association; and Angela Platt, Director Women’s Football, Irish Football Association. Photo by William Cherry/Presseye

Proposals for state-of-the-art National Football Centre outside Ballymena

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

SF's US boycott ironic given they attended when 'bombs were falling on Gaza'
Sinn Fein’s boycott of the traditional White House St Patrick’s Day event is ironic – given that they attended last year when “bombs were falling on Gaza”, a DUP minister has said.
David Thompson

GAA President Jarlath Burns

DUP bite back at GAA president's claims over the redevelopment of Casement Park

Officials from the Department for Communities said they believe they are on track on deliver the payments before the end of March

Pensioners affected by cuts to winter fuel support to receive payments

Pride parade in Londonderry's Guildhall Square.

Sinn Fein department defends paying public funds to LGBTQ+ lobby group

Minister Gordon Lyons visits the Stella Maris facility in Belfast. He is pictured with: Project Group Manager Catherine McGarrell, Depaul Chief Executive Officer David Carroll and Senior Services Manager Deirdre Canavan

Homelessness organisations doing essential work - Minister Gordon Lyons

John Cooney who sadly died on Saturday after injuries sustained during a bout in the Ulster Hall

Stormont Sports Minister express sadness at tragic death of boxer

Domestic violence reports in housing up from 721 to 1146, MLAs have been told

Domestic violence reports in housing up from 721 to 1146

Pictured at the funding announcement are (from left) Mervyn Whyte, NW200 Event Director; Mark Harrison, MCUI (UC) Chairman; racer Christian Elkin; Richard Archibald, Sport NI CEO; Mark Sanlon, MCUI (UC) Secretary; Gordon Lyons, NI Communities Minister; Tim Woodside, NI Hillclimb Champion and Stephen Dunn MLA

MCUI welcomes £187,000 funding to help boost safety at motorcycle road races

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons with competitors Christian Elkin (left) and Tim Woodside at the funding announcement at Parliament Buildings on Tuesday. (Photo by Stephen Davison/Pacemaker Press)

Road racing and motorsport funding announced to aid safety

2000 homes in Northern Ireland remain without power

2000 homes still without power in Northern Ireland after Storm Eowyn

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has opened applications for the Northern Ireland Football Fund. (Photo by Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker)

Gordon Lyons: NI Football Fund and Casement not connected

Loughgall chairman Sam Nicholson has voiced his thoughts as applications are now open for the Northern Ireland Football Fund Performance Programme

Loughgall 'can't stand still' over Football Fund hopes: Sam Nicholson

Committed for the Administration of Justice, with backing from UNISON, Bernardo’s and other groups, take legal action against Stormont’s failure to implement an Anti-Poverty Strategy for Northern Ireland.

Stormont's failure to adopt anti-poverty strategy labelled 'appalling'

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has opened applications for the Northern Ireland Football Fund. (Photo by Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker)

Gordon Lyons reassures clubs Football Fund will be 'open, fair and transparent'

NIFL CEO Gerard Lawlor. (Photo by Press Eye / Phil Magowan)

Gerard Lawlor welcomes Football Fund announcement 'with cautious optimism'

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has opened applications for the Northern Ireland Football Fund Performance Programme. (Photo by Jonathan Porter/PressEye)

Gordon Lyons promises 'this is just the start' after opening NI Football Fund

Opposition leader Matthew O’Toole says the Executive parties are "inviting the contempt of citizens by saying one thing and doing one another on gambling harm".

O'Toole: Executive parties 'saying one thing and doing another' on gambling

Photo from NIE Networks shows clearing damage by fallen trees, as around 43,000 homes and businesses remain without power in Northern Ireland following Storm Eowyn. Issue date: Tuesday January 28, 2025. PA Photo.

200 engineers from GB deployed to help NIE after storm

TUV MLA Timothy Gaston has raised concerns about why liberalised gambling rules have been extended to NI but not protections.

Stormont liberalises gambling laws in line with Great Britain

A light bulb

10,000 properties to have their power reconnected as £1 million allocated

Michelle O'Neill raised eyebrows when she said did not know the whereabouts of her former colleague Michael McMonagle (left, highlighted) during the period this image was taken. This still from a video taken by BBC Northern Ireland in February 2023 shows Michelle O'Neill standing a few yards from him. He was suspended from the party at the time after it emerged he was being investigated by police for child sex offences - he has subsequently been convicted. The First Minister said “I was not aware that Michael McMonagle was at that event.”

Assembly's 'paper exercise' on McMonagle scandal 'raises questions' for SF

Gordon Lyons said public confidence in Stormont had “taken a hammering”

Sinn Fein ‘has questions to answer’ over McMonagle employment, says DUP minister

The redevelopment of Casement Park has been stalled since 2011

Failure to rebuild Casement Park ‘not the fault of unionist ministers’

‘You Need to Chill’ by Juno Dawson and ‘Introducing Teddy’ by Jessica Walton - two of the trans children’s books in NI Libraries’ collection

DUP minister says parents who object to trans toddler books should complain

In a case currently ongoing, the Department of Justice consented to the transfer of a male prisoner to Hydebank women’s prison

Samuel Morrison: Trans issue raises questions over single sex spaces

PACEMAKER, BELFAST, 3/1/2025: A man walks his dog along a snow covered lane in the Sperrin Mountains today. More snow is forecast for the weekend. PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON

Labour 'abandoned its conscience' over winter fuel payments as cold snap bites

Paschal McKeown

Concern voiced about cut to winter fuel payments as cold snap about to bite

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons with Carol Walker from the Somme Museum in Newtownards

Additional funding for Somme Museum in Newtownards

Host, Sarah Travers, tries on Barrister David Bate's wig to add a touch of judicial proceedings to the official opening event for the €7.8m Courthouse Shared Creative Hub in Bushmills. Joining in on the celebration was Councillor Tanya Stirling, Deputy Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.

Bushmills Courthouse project comes to fruition

News you can trust since 1737

©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Terms and Conditions Privacy notice