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Mr Andrew Muir: Assembly records
All of Mr Andrew Muir’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
Vacancy rates in my Department is the biggest issue inhibiting me from fulfilling statutory services and delivering on many Members' priorities. We have over 800 vacancies in the Department. It is important that they be filled. The Northern Ireland Audit Office (NIAO) report on Civil Service resourcing is relevant. I…
I am conscious of the resource that we have in Jubilee House and its importance for achieving regional balance. As for increasing occupancy levels in the building, with the implementation of hybrid working it is a requirement for staff to attend the workplace for 40% of their contractual working hours each week. That…
Jubilee House currently has 358 workstations available. They include 187 for DAERA staff; 145 for Department for Communities staff, who occupy the second floor; and a further 26 that are provided in the Department of Finance's Connect2 hub, which is located on the ground floor and is available to all Northern Ireland…
I am conscious of the impact that coastal erosion has on local communities. As the Member knows, it is a cross-cutting issue, and that is why we need to designate a Department and legislate for that. In the existing framework, responsibility for infrastructure such as sea walls, roads and harbours sits with the…
Steps are set out in NICCAP for the designation of that Department. It is important that that take place. It will also require legislation, which will have to be taken forward in the next mandate. A number of actions need to be taken forward, and we seek to do that collaboratively across government and with…
By way of a response to the Speaker, I am happy to take question 12 separately, if that is so desired. I find it a bit rich for the DUP to lecture me on climate change when the actions that I am trying to take to address the impacts of climate change have been stymied by its Department again and again. The climate…
Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will group questions 3 and 12. Since becoming Minister, I have had regular engagement on coastal management issues, including meetings with stakeholders, briefings from my officials and discussions with the Minister for Infrastructure. The coastal forum is a collaborative…
Good work is being done in the Belfast hills by environmental organisations, and I thank them for that, because that helps us with the management of those areas. It is important to say that a number of the actions in the wildfire action plan cut across the whole of Northern Ireland. I am very conscious of the impact…
Thank you, Patsy. The action plan, which is on the Department's website, sets out the various actions that we are going to take forward. We can take those forward at a faster pace if we have the resources to do so; that links to budget and resourcing. There are two fundamental actions that can be taken on enforcement.…
Thank you, Diane. That is a constructive comment, which I will take back to my colleagues and to the Fire and Rescue Service. A key element of the wider action plan is a community response, because the community will know the situation on the ground, and, collectively, we can be much stronger in how we turn a…
I am conscious that a private Member's Bill is going through its scrutiny process, and I know that the AERA Committee will actively engage in that regard. There is a case for conditionality to be associated with those payments in order to drive towards the desired outcomes. The key intervention that will assist with…
Thank you, Andy. The project will produce plans that will lead to increased resilience to wildfires in the Mournes and reduce the risk of significant wildfire spread. That will provide benefits for the biodiversity, landscape, land managers and recreational users of the Mournes. Specific outcomes will include detailed…
On 2 April, I launched the wildfire action plan to accompany 'Wildfires in Northern Ireland: Strategic Framework 2025-2030'. The action plan contains time-bound actions for each of the 35 key areas of development identified in the strategic framework, covering strategic objectives of wildfire prevention, preparedness,…
Thank you, John. The concern from many Members in the House is around when the remediation of the site will occur and how it will be funded. We are working on finalising that strategy, and I will engage with local elected representatives on that. The other issue relates to funding for that. I have already set out the…
I assure the Member that safeguarding public health and ensuring that we have safe drinking water is paramount. That has to be the first thing that we consider in regard to the issue. My Department is committed to protecting the water quality of the River Faughan. We are working in partnership with NI Water to…
I share in the Member's concern and the collective desire to see the remediation of the site. To date, my Department does not have a cost estimate that has been assessed and approved through the required public finance processes, such as an approved business case, in order to inform a financial bid. There are several…
I am committed to ensuring that appropriate steps are taken to protect water quality and the environment, and to that end I have moved as quickly as possible to complete the public consultation on the draft remediation strategy for the Mobuoy site. The summary report on consultation responses was published on 12 March…
With your permission, Mr Deputy Speaker, I will update Members on AFBI, the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute. As Members will be aware, AFBI plays a key role in protecting animal health and public health, safeguarding our agri-food economy and providing diagnostic, scientific and emergency response capability when…
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I welcome the opportunity to address the Assembly on the motion concerning the delivery of public services and major infrastructure projects and the call for a cost-benefit analysis of net zero policies. At the outset, I need to be absolutely clear that I fundamentally disagree with the…
Cancellation of Summer Schemes in Special Schools That this Assembly expresses grave concern that the Education Authority has announced the cancellation of summer schemes in special schools in 2026 due to concerns about healthcare provision for participating children; recognises that these schemes provide a lifeline…
The Member may not be aware, but that money comes separately. Funding for Windsor framework implementation is ring-fenced. On the £4·9 million from unfilled vacancies, will the Member acknowledge that a good element of responsibility for that sits with the Department of Finance and with Northern Ireland Civil Service…
The Member made a statement to the Committee last Monday that the money should be new money. Does the Member intend to table amendments to require it to be new money? How does he intend to clarify the matter? There is a concern, particularly from the Ulster Farmers' Union, about that.