Reassessment in progress: every record is being assessed again under the updated rubric. 34,062 of 97,616 records done (34.9%). Rankings are paused until it finishes, so results from the old and new rubrics are never mixed. Progress details
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 qualifying, uncertain or not yet analysed.
I met with the eel fishermen last week regarding the package. I want to reassure you and those affected by this that the Department has stretched itself as far as it can to provide that support package. In Northern Ireland, it is often the least well-off who are affected the most as a result of environmental damage,…
The impact of not taking the correct actions to ensure that we have a fair and proportionate regulation and enforcement regime for all the polluters associated with water quality is devastating. It is not lost on me that, recently, the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee opposed an…
Steady progress is being made to deliver the Lough Neagh action plan, with partners continuing to implement measures aimed at improving water quality and protecting the long-term health of the lough. The consultation on an updated nutrients action programme to tackle pollution from agricultural sources has recently…
The Member has raised the cross-border initiative that we are taking forward. We have taken lessons from other parts of the world where the regionalisation approach has worked well. There has been a significant uptake by farmers of the surveys, as well as the biosecurity advice. We will update the Committee in due…
As the Member will be aware from my previous responses, there has been one consultation on wildlife interventions. The Member will be acutely aware of the importance of making sure that the consultation is properly carried out. I have been very clear that we need to follow due process on the matter. The ability to…
Thank you, Declan. The whole genesis of the blueprint is based on the Chief Veterinary Officer's report. Its three pillars are people, cattle and wildlife, and that is what we are seeking to pursue. In response to Brian, I set out the actions in all those areas. We have lost two years of this mandate. We obviously…
I am very aware of the devastating impact that TB can have on the family farm. I have met families who have been affected by it, and those conversations will stay with me for a long time. I am also mindful of the importance of following due process. We are consulting on wildlife interventions. I want to make sure that…
Bovine TB remains a top priority, and I am pleased to advise that good progress has been made recently on a number of key actions agreed in the blueprint for eradication. Those actions, which are being taken forward with the TB partnership steering group, include further increased use of interferon gamma testing, with…
I thank all Members for their contributions to this constructive debate, particularly the Chair of the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee. I am very grateful to the Committee for its constructive scrutiny of the legislation. It has been supported ably by Janice and the rest of the team on the…
Will the Member accept that the key function of the Bill is to give discretionary powers to councils to intervene? By councils intervening, there will be an opportunity for them to get money on to their rates base, so we need to take a long-term approach.
Does the Member understand and appreciate that, if the owner of a property restores that building and brings it back into use, the Bill will have a potential long-term benefit for that individual? It is about taking the long-term view for property owners.
I beg to move I welcome the opportunity to bring the Dilapidation Bill to its Final Stage. People in Northern Ireland deserve to have pride in their area and to see their high streets thriving, with shops, restaurants and a variety of businesses, instead of being blighted by run-down buildings and dilapidation. The…
I say to you that, if we left the Windsor framework, you ain't seen nothing yet in relation to barriers. Our dairy industry would be destroyed, because, as you know, it is a cross-border industry.
I struggle to match this, where I have one question asking me not to take climate action and then another one about the impacts of climate change. Climate change has a real impact on food security. We are food-insecure in Northern Ireland because, whilst we produce a lot of protein in the form of meat, we do not…
Ultimately, we have properly scrutinised the Dilapidation Bill. We will, hopefully, deliver the Bill in the Assembly tomorrow. It will be for councils to use the legislation. I urge councils to see the wider picture. By bringing buildings back into use, councils will potentially increase their rates base and see the…
Fundamental to the Dilapidation Bill is identifying someone who can be gone after to recover the associated costs. That has been identified in the Bill. There is separate legislation in place for Japanese knotweed. It is important that people step up to their responsibilities, because the number of enforcement cases…
Thank you, Declan. There are massive benefits associated with the soil nutrient health scheme. That is why we have rolled it out across Northern Ireland. There is also conditionality associated with the farm sustainability payment (FSP), because it delivers benefits not just to farmers but to the environment. It is a…
I agree 100%. It is nearly 10 years since the Bengoa report. The recommendations of that report resonate loudly with me and should be heard by populist politicians who pretend that difficult decisions can be delayed without real consequences. I will quote from the report, although I should not have to do so 10 years…
Thank you, Nuala. I am conscious that my role is that of Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. The transformation of Health and Social Care (HSC) is critical for people who live in rural areas: they deserve health outcomes that are much improved from those that are offered currently. The current…
Climate action is absolutely imperative. Climate change is the biggest economic risk to us. It will potentially devastate farming across the UK if we do not take action. The people of Northern Ireland deserve better than denial, dither and delay from the DUP, which sidles up to its friends in Reform UK and to Donald…
The climate action plan is very clear about its implementation and the impact on our economy. If, however, people do not get what the impact of climate change is and will be on farming, I despair.
Thank you, Andy. There has been extensive stakeholder engagement on that issue. I will check with officials and write to you to set out a bit more information about the important issue that you have raised.