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.
The time frame for delivery relies largely on resources. Every time that I receive correspondence from Members, MPs or councillors asking for an update, it breaks my heart to have to reply, "That was the last time that we received something. We cannot give you any further update". We need to do better in that regard.…
The Department is actively seeking to recruit nine new staff members to support the planning function in the natural environment division of NIEA. It is hoped that, once in post, those new staff will add resilience to the DAERA planning function in order to support a reduction in response time frames.
It is a fact that we do not meet those targets, and one of the key issues in that is resources and recruiting people into the role. We are continuing to focus on that. I understand the concerns about the matter, and we continue to work at it.
As a statutory consultee in the planning system, DAERA's performance is measured against a duty to respond to a statutory consultation within 21 calendar days or an otherwise agreed timescale. I am aware of the frustrations that are caused by the time that it takes my Department to respond as a statutory consultee to…
I have been very clear that sheep support is a priority for me and my Department. Once we get the farm sustainability payment and farm sustainability standards in place — hopefully, we can get that done this year, because people have been trading entitlements on the basis that that new payment arrangement will come…
The climate action plan is out for consultation, and part of that is on agriculture. However, agriculture is only one sector; many other sectors have a role to play in the climate action plan, such as transport, energy, housing and many others. Although climate change sits in and is a lead responsibility of my…
Thank you. In my original answer, I said that the blueprint was published last year: it was published in April 2025. It was the Chief Veterinary Officer's report that was published last year, and we then worked with stakeholders to agree a blueprint. The Member will be aware that the issue of TB predates my time as…
My officials and I have taken cognisance of that report and other relevant research in that area. The report recognises that better animal health and welfare have positive impacts on sustainability, the environment, climate change and productivity. A range of DAERA policies align with the recommendations in the report…
Thank you, Matthew. The proposal to consult on the nutrients action programme was contained in the Lough Neagh report and action plan, so it is no surprise that we consulted on that, and it is also a legal obligation. I have reached out to all political parties asking them to engage with me on these key issues and to…
We went out to consult on proposals for the nutrients action programme. If we now cannot even consult and discuss the issue, that is quite serious with regard to our democracy and how we deal with the seriousness of Lough Neagh. I am glad that the consultation is completed. I thank the thousands of people who…
There was an informal meeting of the group a few weeks ago. We are seeking to schedule a formal meeting. Hopefully, we will be able to make announcements, ideally this week, on the appointment of an external facilitator, get that meeting scheduled and start the work. I can feed back the issue that you outlined to the…
To support the development of the revised nutrients action programme, I have established a stakeholder task-and-finish group of organisations that represent a range of interests across farming, agri-food and the environment as well as DAERA officials. The group will consider the key findings from the recent NAP…
Thank you, Daniel. Anaerobic digesters and how we manage their growth is a big challenge. We need to make sure that anaerobic digesters are not adding to the problem but alleviating it. I am not going to give you statistics off the hoof in the Chamber, but it is a key challenge. There was a conference last week. There…
I have been crystal clear about the sewage pollution situation. Let me set it out yet again. The situation whereby we are pumping raw sewage into Lough Neagh, Belfast lough and other waterways is not acceptable and needs to be dealt with. My role covers regulation and enforcement. It is not acceptable that there is a…
We all know what the problem is in Lough Neagh. Anyone who does not has probably been living under a rock. There is an issue with pollution of the lough, and we need to address that. We have climate change, so the water has therefore got warmer. Invasive species have made the water clearer. We therefore have a…
Thank you for your question, David. I was glad to get Executive support in July 2024 for the Lough Neagh report and action plan, and I have focused on delivery of that plan. Many actions have been achieved, while others are progressing, but I will need support from my Executive colleagues on some key interventions,…
Mr Deputy Speaker, with your permission, I will group questions 2 and 15 together for answer. Of the 37 actions in the plan, 14 have been delivered, 22 are actively progressing, and one is pending because it is contingent on another action's being taken forward first. I remain committed to driving forward the delivery…
I am very conscious that, in my role as Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, I have lead responsibility for rural affairs, but each Department has responsibility around this, including duties in legislation. If we all work together, we are going to achieve a better outcome for rural communities. I…
The rural development programme was a popular support arrangement that was funded through the European Union. Unfortunately, it was one of the many casualties of Brexit, but I have taken action in response. I established a new rural policy unit on 1 April 2024 and tasked it with developing future rural policy for…
Thank you for your question. I am going to be open about this. We were looking at doing a rural halls scheme, but we found out that the Department for Communities was looking at developing a scheme for rural and urban areas, so I am happy to support Minister Lyons in the work that he is doing in relation to that. We…
I fully acknowledge the importance of sustaining community buildings. On 24 September, the Department for Communities launched the pilot Northern Ireland community infrastructure fund, which includes provision for the refurbishment and improvement of community buildings in rural and urban areas across Northern…
Thank you very much, Deputy Speaker. I thank Colm for bringing the Adjournment debate on what is a very important issue. We know, as has been referenced, that wildfires are, sadly, not unique to Northern Ireland. In the past year, we have seen wildfires across the UK, Ireland, Europe and beyond. Hotter, drier summers…
I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important motion and reaffirm my commitment and that of my Department to the protection and restoration of Lough Neagh and its wider catchment. It has been truly heartbreaking this summer to witness yet again the scenes of a lough being suffocated by human-induced blue-green…
I thank the Member for her question. It is an important issue, because it affects farmers in Northern Ireland, particularly their mental health. It is a key priority for my Department. We outlined a blueprint for the way forward, and I commend everyone who took part in the stakeholder group, which allowed us to set…
With your permission, Mr Deputy Speaker, I wish to make a statement in compliance with section 52 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 on the twenty-ninth agriculture meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC), which was held in the NSMC joint secretariat offices in Armagh on Friday 20 June 2025. I feel as…