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.
I have engaged heavily with my counterparts in the UK Government and in the South. I raised the issue with the Prime Minister at the British-Irish Council in Edinburgh late last year. I have engaged with my colleagues in DEFRA and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. I also recently met Darragh O'Brien,…
We are taking a significant number of actions, and there are actions that have to be taken across government and society. There are many sectors that sit outside my Department's remit that are relevant when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly those that relate to energy and transport. Those actions are…
The Department for Infrastructure is the primary lead on that matter. I am aware of the concerns, but I am also conscious of the ongoing legal issue. As a Department, we will discharge our responsibilities in line with our legal duties.
I am conscious of those issues; I have received questions for written answer on them. I am also aware of the vesting process and the ongoing legal challenge. If the Member is referring to specific examples, I encourage him to write to me so that I can give him a more definitive reply. We have to respect the rules on…
We have appointed two firms for that, with the potential of a third coming online. That provides a solution for the farming community by moving excess on-site slurry or manure and turning it into a resource that we can use to generate energy and potentially export. A number of sites are in place to do that, including…
No problem. A number of SBRIs are particularly relevant to Lough Neagh. One of those is phase 2 of the sustainable utilisation of livestock slurry initiative. That is ongoing and has proven very successful. It is important that we are conscious of that: I will say a bit more about it next week in the run-up to the…
The Department continues to implement the Lough Neagh action plan. It is really important that we do that. Specifically in relation to the question and bathing water sites and Lough Neagh, as you have raised it, among the seven new sites being formally identified is Northern Ireland's first inland site at Rea's Wood…
I am conscious of the issue that the Member has outlined. There is a different situation as regards water quality in different bathing areas. I also know that sea swimming is a popular sport that people undertake. I undertook it on Christmas Eve, and I think that I will stick to running. That is my focus. We need to…
My Department carried out the most current official assessment of bathing water sites in Northern Ireland during the 2024 bathing season. The bathing season runs from 1 June to 15 September. During that period, weekly monitoring and assessments were carried out at 26 identified bathing water sites and seven candidate…
I am conscious of the issues that the Member raises. I am very supportive of built heritage: that is why I am a member of Ulster Architectural Heritage. By tabling the Bill, hopefully, my Department will be able to progress some things around that. I am conscious of the issues in the Member's constituency,…
It will have a particular impact on that, because, during the policy consultation, stakeholders expressed concerns that, under existing legislation, there was no special consideration or protection afforded to listed buildings and no requirement to consult planning colleagues prior to the issuing of notices.…
Yes. I am keen to see the Bill on the Floor of the Assembly. When we were returned here in 2022 — it is just about the anniversary of that election — we were clear that the public wanted us to deliver for them. The dilapidation Bill is a key tool by which we will do that. Dilapidation is a real blight on communities.…
I have now received confirmation that the dilapidation Bill is within the legislative competence of the Assembly. I am seeking approval for the introduction of the Bill at the earliest available opportunity from my Executive colleagues. Once Executive approval is received, I will seek to have the Bill introduced, with…
The Programme for Government sets out areas of commitment, one of which relates to improving the environment. In the environmental improvement plan, we have actions that I seek to take as Minister. Clearly, what is required with regard to waste water infrastructure is investment. The Northern Ireland Audit Office has…
I am on record as saying that I will support the Infrastructure Minister in funding bids for Northern Ireland Water. That is the kind of person that I am. I will support that investment, which needs to take place. The pressure that I am bringing to bear relates to the regulation and enforcement arrangements for…
I can answer that question in a number of ways. The third cycle river basin management plan has been with the Executive for approval for a while, and I continue to engage with my Executive colleagues on it. If Members will bear with me, I will explain this a bit more. When NI Water was established in 2007, a statement…
I am aware of the impact of sewage pollution on water quality. The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) undertakes an extensive water quality monitoring programme in Northern Ireland's rivers and lakes. NIEA's river waterbody monitoring indicates that 53% of river waterbodies are impacted by agriculture-related…
Thank you very much, Andy. That is a really important issue. Re-wetting peatlands leads to improvements in the height of the water table, which increases the wetness and the growth of key plants that naturally limit the dominance of the shrubs, heather and grasses that favour drier conditions and burn more readily. A…
The Department has previously engaged with specific forums and intends to re-establish that as part of the strategy associated with the wildfires. Engagement with people is important. There will be a consultation and engagement about the prescribed burning period. I have put on record my belief that the period should…
The media have strongly profiled the issue. Last week, I was with the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service in Ballynahinch and Lisburn, and we put out media updates subsequent to that visit to raise the profile of the practical implications. We have a role, as elected representatives, to profile the communications…
My engagement with the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service has shown that the overwhelming majority of the fires have been deliberately set. It is only by the grace of God that nobody has been killed by the fires in Northern Ireland. I again urge anyone with any information to pass it on to the police. The…
Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will group questions 4 and 14. The recent spate of wildfire incidents is very concerning, as wildfires not only have the potential to have devastating impacts on the environment but are a risk to life, homes and farms. We must all unite to strongly condemn the actions of the…
That is one of my main concerns. You are right to highlight that. We want to make sure that we do not do that. We will engage on it as part of a co-design process, because we want to make sure that it benefits rural areas and people who are less well off. It is important that we do that.
We will do that next week at the Balmoral show. Dairy is not scary for me; it is healthy and nutritious, and I enjoy it as part of my daily diet. The Balmoral show will be a great opportunity to showcase the excellent quality food that we have in Northern Ireland, not just to people from Northern Ireland but on a…
Thank you, Sian. As I said, I will launch the food strategy framework action plan — we are probably going to develop an acronym for that — at the Balmoral show next week. It will be really important that we follow up on that launch. A key priority in the strategy is to enable improved diet-related health outcomes…