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.
Thank you, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I thank everyone for the debate on the regulations. As I said at the outset, these regulations are essential to ensuring that I can deliver for our farming community by opening the farm sustainability payment as planned on 2 March 2026. They deliver on policy proposals that…
I beg to move I am grateful for the opportunity to propose the motion. By way of background, the sustainable agriculture programme (SAP) represents a bespoke programme of farm support that is targeted to meet the needs of Northern Ireland and seeks to implement policies and strategies that benefit the environment and…
We need to take action to address the impacts of climate change. Doing nothing is not an option. The cost of inaction, economically, socially and environmentally, is significant, Northern Ireland is already experiencing the effects of climate change: the rise in temperatures, increased rainfall, more frequent flooding…
As Minister, I am committed to improving our resilience to climate change. I will shortly bring Northern Ireland's third climate adaptation programme to the Executive for their agreement to publish. The programme sets out the details of over 250 actions that Departments and key stakeholders are to deliver over the…
When I consider climate change, I look to experts, particularly Lord Stern, who produced seminal work back in 2006 and recently published a publication on the issue. In that, he recognises that climate action boosts living standards and prosperity, improves air quality and reduces poverty. He challenges the…
Thank you, John. I commend the Prime Minister, the Taoiseach, the Prince of Wales and many others for their leadership on the issue. My Department will continue to engage with and support the UK Government on their engagement in COP30. The big focus of COP30 is climate action and rightly so, and it is about achieving…
Officials from my Department hosted a bathing water review meeting for councils on Monday 3 November. That meeting was designed to prepare non-bathing water operator councils for the upcoming review by sharing information on bathing waters and bathing water operator responsibilities. All councils are invited to the…
Water quality is a priority for me and my Department. I expanded the bathing water programme this year, including seven new sites, which brought the number of identified bathing waters to 33. I also launched the bathing water platform, which has been well received. The Department works in partnership with stakeholders…
The culling of flocks is difficult for the farmer and for the officials who have to undertake the task, and I commend everyone for the work that they do on that. The preferred method is gassing, and we will continue to seek to secure supplies of gas to effect that. The situation is extremely challenging for officials…
Avian influenza is a challenge and is developing across the island of Ireland. It has also occurred in England and Wales. The Department has taken action in response to that: we have made biosecurity measures mandatory and introduced a housing order. We are working North and South on the issue. Of late, we have had…
I recognise that the island of Ireland is a single epidemiological area, and that is why it is important that we work together on issues of animal health. My officials are working with officials in the South on that regionalised approach, and, following engagement with stakeholders, I will make further announcements…
Thank you, Declan. The rates of TB in Northern Ireland are far too high, and we need to act to reduce them. I have kept in place the 100% compensation rate, which the Secretary of State wanted to remove when the institutions were down. I recognise, however, that the full cost to farm families is way beyond what we…
The issues with Farming with Nature and the EFS are to do with the outworkings of Brexit. I am, however, determined to make progress on supporting the agrienvironment. It is planned that the existing EFS agreement holders will be eligible for future strands of the Farming with Nature package. The prioritisation of EFS…
Thank you, Nick. The commencement of the Farming with Nature package was a key priority for me this year. I am encouraged by the good uptake of the first strand of the package, which is the Farming with Nature transition scheme. It has demonstrated that demand exists in the farming community to do more for nature. It…
My record of standing up for the environment is there to be seen. I believe in it and am prepared to take the difficult decisions. The opposition comes from the DUP, and that is why I believe in reform of the institutions. The majority in the Assembly have voted for an independent environmental protection agency. The…
I come here to account for my job as Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and I am happy to do that. Last night's debate on an independent environmental protection agency was constructive, and many Members were on the same page about the importance of setting up such an agency. I said earlier in…
Yes. The wildfire stakeholder forum forms one part of the strategic framework. The forum includes representation from the farming sector, other key land managers, environmental NGOs, government and council agencies and the Met Office. An official from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine sits on the…
Communications and education are key elements of the wildfire strategic framework. Communications and education will make the public and landowners more aware of the conditions that cause wildfires and the adverse impacts that they can have on human health, the environment, society and the economy. Education and…
The Northern Ireland wildfires strategic framework was agreed by the Executive on 4 September and published on 8 October. Publication of the strategic framework will enable the development of an associated wildfire action plan by March 2026. Since publication, my officials have sought feedback from members of the…
If there is a variance from the planning permission, that is primarily a matter for the district council that issued the planning permission. If there are concerns about a variance from a planning application, the Member should raise those with the district council. If there are specific allegations in relation to a…
On receipt of an application for a new or varied pollution prevention and control (PPC) permit, NIEA officials will initially confirm that the application can be considered "duly made" under the regulations, including that all the information set out in Part 1 of schedule 4 or schedule 7 to the PPC regulations has…
The discussion with the Infrastructure Minister will be at a strategic level and will be around the need to have stronger regulation and enforcement. The responsibilities around that sit with me. The investment responsibilities sit with the Minister for Infrastructure. I am concerned to see the lack of investment in…
Modelling studies have indicated that urban and diffuse agricultural discharges account for, respectively, 53% and 47% of the pollution in Belfast lough. Improvements in water quality are being sought through Northern Ireland Water's investment in waste water treatment upgrades, sewer misconnections work and…
The actions that fall to me are in regulation and enforcement. I have been on the record as saying and will repeat today that I want to strengthen regulation and enforcement on sewage pollution in Northern Ireland. There is a separate regime for Northern Ireland Water; I do not think that that is sustainable, and I…
For the purpose of monitoring and reporting, Belfast lough is divided into three discrete water bodies: Belfast harbour, Belfast lough inner and Belfast lough outer. The water bodies in Belfast lough are failing to meet environmental standards for nutrients and/or the presence of chemical substances. Nutrient…