DUP minister apologises for 'sit down' comments

The DUP Minister Gordon Lyons has apologised for "sincerely offending" an Alliance MLA during a debate in the assembly chamber.

On Monday, Kate Nicholl said he had twice shouted at her to "sit down" during a debate on childcare funding.

She described it as "aggressive and arrogant" and made a complaint to the assembly Speaker Edwin Poots.

Following Lyons' response on Tuesday, Nicholl said she didn't think what he said "qualifies as an apology".

Speaking in the assembly, Lyons said he understood concerns had been expressed about his remarks.

"I do believe in the cut and thrust of debate we need to robustly challenge each other in this chamber - I can give it and I can take it, but I understand there are those in the chamber who I have perhaps sincerely offended," he said.

"I'm more than content to apologise for that, I do believe we need to continue that robust debate but I understand the concerns some have expressed today."

But Nicholl rejected these comments.

"He said it was the cut and thrust of debate and implied I couldn’t handle it," she wrote on social media platform Bluesky.

"My issue isn’t about a difference of political opinion, it’s about courtesy and aggressively interrupting me while I was making a point of order is not acceptable."

What happened?

The incident occurred as the debate on childcare was coming to a close on Monday.

The deputy speaker told assembly members to "take their ease" before moving on to the next item.

Nicholl however stood up and asked to make a point of order, to which the deputy speaker replied, "go ahead".

Points of order are a mechanism to allow members of the assembly to raise a matter concerning the rules of parliamentary procedure.

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons was criticised for his behaviour in the assembly on Monday

Nicholl asked whether "it is in order for the minister of education to imply that Alliance ministers did not support the £25 million for childcare".

As Nicholl was speaking, Lyons stood up and started making his way out of the chamber, which took him past where Nicholl was standing.

As he was not on microphone, it is not possible from viewing the assembly live feed to hear anything that he said on his way out.

However, after he has left, SDLP member Sinéad McLaughlin said that Lyons "shouted over to [Nicholl] 'sit down'".

Posting on social media after the incident, Nicholl said that Lyons' comments were "Aggressive, arrogant and have to say - doubt it would have happened if I was a man".

On Tuesday, the Speaker told MLAs that he wanted to remind "members and ministers" of the need for courtesy during debates.

He added that that at times on Monday, there were occasions where the behaviour of MLAs "fell short".