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 clearly outlined my position on the issue and on the fact that I am fighting the corner of agriculture in Northern Ireland on the issue of the Budget and the budgetary settlement arising from that. It is key that we come together on inheritance tax and on funding for agriculture, the agrienvironment, fisheries…
With your permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to answer questions 6, 10 and 12 together. I recognise that the changes announced in the Budget regarding agricultural property relief and business property relief in relation to inheritance tax have generated real concern and anger in the local farming community and…
I thank the Member for her question. I know that the issue was raised in today's debate about support for the sheep sector, and I will respond to the concerns as part of that. I confirm that I have not made a final decision. Any decision that I take on the matter will be communicated, in the first instance, to the…
I thank the Member for his supplementary question. It is a useful question, because the Northern Ireland sheep scab pilot project, Stamp out Scab, ran from August 2022 until October 2023. The project was co-funded by DAERA and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). Levels of disease…
Sheep scab is one of the most severe skin conditions for sheep. It is highly contagious, responsible for large economic losses and a significant welfare concern. Sheep scab remains a notifiable disease in Northern Ireland. The Sheep Scab Order (Northern Ireland) 1970 places a legal obligation on any person who has…
Thank you, Justin, for your question. The Chief Veterinary Officer's report will be published on Thursday. I urge you and others to read it and consider what it says. When I assumed office in February, the Secretary of State had already instructed that there would be a consultation on reducing the level of…
Levels of bTB across the UK and Ireland vary. We know, for example, that Scotland's level is so low that it is considered to be free of bTB, whereas the levels of bTB in Northern Ireland are unsustainable. I know that deeply, not just because of the financial implications for my Department but because the matter is…
I thank the Member for her question, which is a really important one. After the previous North/South Ministerial Council meeting, I had a lengthy meeting with the South's Minister for Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue, on that specific issue, what the South is doing, what we are doing and how we can work together. In…
I am aware of the outcome of the judicial review, because I have read the judgement twice. We are seeking a holistic way forward so that we can manage the issues associated with bTB. That goes beyond the issue of wildlife. We need to work together collaboratively to deal with all the causation factors, because that is…
Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is one of the most challenging issues that cattle farmers and my Department face. The cost of delivering the Northern Ireland bovine TB eradication programme was almost £56 million last year, and current estimates indicate that there will be a rise in programme costs to approximately £60…
I read 'The Impartial Reporter' investigation and am aware of the reports and concerns. The issue is on my mind and is of great concern to me. When we get together with those stakeholders soon, that issue will be on the agenda. I get the public concern, because I share it. I want to look at what more we can do in that…
There are two aspects to your question. If you are aware of any concerns about council engagement, you can bring them to me and I will engage constructively with the councils on them. Stakeholder engagement on the reform of animal welfare legislation will include the councils, because they are key partners in it. I…
I am passionate about improving animal welfare standards in Northern Ireland. We have lost pace on that due to the collapse of the Assembly. I am determined to do what work I can, with the resources in my Department, to catch up on it. I will be engaging with stakeholders, because I want to do it in a process of…
I remain committed to introducing legislation to regulate third-party sales of pups and kittens in Northern Ireland. I expect to be in a position to announce policy proposals by the end of this year along with a number of other key proposals, which I am confident will deliver improvements to the lives of companion…
Peatlands are absolutely key in this, and we are already doing work on that. We have funding from the Shared Island Fund, which is proving really useful to the actions that we can take towards peatland restoration. I have seen some of that work across Northern Ireland in action in recent months, but we want to take…
As I outlined in my response to Mark, we are taking forward a number of strategies in this area. In the shortened mandate that we have and within my Department's resource pressures, the ability to take forward legislation in a specific area is challenging for me. I am aware, however, that Mark H Durkan, who asked the…
I thank the Member for his question. I am very well aware of what the OEP report said about the drivers of biodiversity loss. It was very stark reading, and I encourage everyone in the House and beyond to read the report. The NAP, as the Member outlined, is a key intervention in dealing with that nutrient overload in…
It is widely recognised that Northern Ireland’s natural environment and its habitats and species are under considerable pressure, having suffered continuous biodiversity loss in recent decades. Indeed, the recent evidence report from the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) highlights the precarious state of…
I beg to introduce the Agriculture Bill [NIA 08/22-27], which is a Bill to make provision for the modification of assimilated direct legislation in relation to aid in the fruit and vegetables sector and information and promotion schemes for agricultural products; and for connected purposes.
Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. I will address the two aspects of the motion. One is the earmarked funding, and the other is inheritance tax. I will start with inheritance tax, because it has been the issue of last night, of today and of recent weeks. As Members will know, the issues raised in the motion are a…