Stormont minister Edwin Poots is stepping down temporarily as Agriculture Minister while he receives cancer treatment, the DUP has said.
In a statement the DUP said Mr Poots was stepping down from Tuesday and that junior minister Gordon Lyons will take over.
Mr Poots revealed last month he was waiting for an operation after being diagnosed with kidney cancer.
The 55-year-old Lagan Valley representative said last month that surgery to remove the kidney had been delayed due to the disruption to non-Covid services caused by the pandemic.
