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.
Forest Service staff were in Donard Forest recently to monitor the functioning of the forest drainage system during storm Amy. High rainfall resulted in extremely large volumes of water running off the hillside that exceeded the capacity of the drainage infrastructure, including the outflow from the forest. In the…
The storm at the beginning of the year had a devastating impact, and I have seen that on the ground in many places. There have been a lot of clearances and then tree planting in response to that. I can understand the concerns from some communities who have seen forests being cleared as a result of the damage that has…
I am delighted to agree to that. It is a good example of bringing communities together to enjoy the benefits of forestation and tree planting for the local area. I am keen for officials to engage with you on the matter and give any assistance that we can.
My Department’s Forest Service works in partnership with local councils, commercial entities and interest groups to facilitate forest-based recreational and environmental projects for local communities across Northern Ireland. The partnerships have proven successful in facilitating numerous development projects across…
Following the strategic insight light lab held on 17 June, my Department received a final report from Innovation and Consultancy Services (ICS) in August. The report identified 16 key outputs that have since been refined into six strategic recommendations. On 24 October, I approved the recommendations and a plan with…
We keep the fees under review. I am keen to ensure that there is restocking, but we do not want to enable the spread of zebra mussels. It is about striking a balance, and it is something that is on my radar. I have visited Movanagher and seen the work that is done there, and we are trying to strike a balance between…
DAERA and the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) are developing a stocking protocol to ensure compliance with the Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 and prevent the spread of zebra mussels. Results from water sampling at the Department's fish farm at Movanagher have been assessed for the presence or…
As the matter does not sit under my direction and control — it sits under the direction and control of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) — I will refer your question to DEFRA and make sure that it is able to respond to the questions that you have raised. I understand the concerns, and I…
The Member makes legitimate points with regard to communication and clarity for the industry. Those are the points that I have been making to the UK Government and will make again today to the Minister of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is important that there is clarity around the issue and that…
Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will group questions 4 and 9. Under the Windsor Framework (Implementation) Regulations 2024, the supply of veterinary medicines to Northern Ireland is a matter under the direction and control of the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Nevertheless, I remain…
I am proud to serve as Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. Just recently, we consulted on the climate action plan for 2023-27. In that, there are no proposals for herd reduction. We seek to work with the farming community to deliver productivity and efficiency on the ground. We are doing that…
It is very disappointing that, just three years after passing the legislation, some parties are calling for the Act to be scrapped. Businesses need certainty. There are economic opportunities from decarbonisation in Northern Ireland, and it is really important that we grasp those. We in Northern Ireland need to be…
I am very conscious of the developments across the world. The EU has very strong ambitions on climate action. Discussions are ongoing within the European Union. I welcome the fact that the European Union is committed to climate action, and it is important that we do that here as well. It is a reality that is affecting…
A just transition is absolutely key. It is embedded in the legislation and in my Department. We have a just transition fund for agriculture. We secured that as part of the budget for this year. We are bidding for additional funding for next year and the years beyond, because it is important that we give that support…
As the Member will be aware, legal proceedings are under way, and if there is litigation in relation to a case, I am limited in what I can say. However, the Economy Minister has provided written ministerial statements on the issue, and I refer the Member to those.
The 2030 and 2050 emissions reductions targets in the Act were agreed by the Northern Ireland Assembly unanimously at the Bill's Third, and final, Reading in 2022. Subsequently, the 2040 target and the first three carbon budgets were approved by the Assembly in December 2024. My Department's focus is on delivering on…
Given the challenges that we face from TB, I am very grateful that all the stakeholders around the table agreed a blueprint for the way forward, and I am committed to delivering the actions arising from that. The blueprint is based on three pillars: people, cattle and wildlife. I have been very clear that there has to…
Thank you, Aoife. The review that was undertaken by the independent panel — I again put on record my thanks to it — recommended a range of actions, one of which is about how we can work better together. Another recommendation was about the need for memorandums of understanding between bodies, and I will seek to take…
We all know about the environmental challenges that we have in Northern Ireland. There are the situations with waste crime, Mobuoy and Lough Neagh, and the list continues. The case for an independent environmental protection agency is clear. It really frustrates and disappoints me that the DUP is taking the approach…
Thank you, Gerry. My passion for and commitment to environmental protection and setting up an independent environmental protection agency are on the record, and I restate them here today. I would like to see an agency legislated for in this mandate. I am extremely disappointed in the outcome of the vote last night,…
With your permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer questions 1, 7 and 12 together. First, I put on record my thanks to the independent panel for carrying out its extensive review of environmental governance, and I welcome the findings. The panel has made 32 recommendations that, taken together, aim to deliver a…
Will the Member acknowledge that the ability to block things at the Executive and our resulting inability to progress something on which the will of the Assembly has been stated is damaging our environment, which is why we want to reform the institutions?
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Opposition motion on the establishment of an independent environmental protection agency for Northern Ireland, and I thank the leader of the Opposition for tabling it. From the outset, I make it clear that I have long held the view that Northern…