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 outlined my response through correspondence. I understand the Member's concern about what is a historic case. I will review it again in response to the Member's questions, and I will write to him further to that. I have corresponded extensively with him on the specific case, but I have to respect due process.
I am aware of the correspondence that the Member has sent not only to me but to officials on that. I am reluctant to comment on the matter in the Assembly, but I give a commitment to review the correspondence. I believe that the decisions that my Department has taken to date on the matter are correct.
I am glad to accept the invitation. The issues facing farmers are important, because we are talking about people's livelihoods. The Budget is causing real concern for people, and it is concerning for me, because the decisions on inheritance tax, agricultural property relief and removing the earmarking of the funding…
No problem at all, Sian. Peatlands are important to me. I was up at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) hill farm recently to see the work being done on peatland restoration. We want to do more than just the work at the hill farm, however. We are progressing a peatland strategy for Northern…
My Department has done some initial analysis. As you are aware, the announcement was made on Wednesday, and we are digging through the details. I am happy to place in the Library the analysis that we have done on it. Hopefully, that will help Members. We are dealing with an evolving picture. You know what the UK…
The Department recently announced the Farming for the Generations programme, which is about proactively managing the succession of farms. Unfortunately, there are instances where people pass away and it is difficult for farms to be passed on and be successful in the future. We do not want that. We want to see family…
I have to focus on the vires of my Department in this. I have spoken to the president of the Ulster Farmers' Union about it. We need to work together on the matter. It will obviously commission its own research on the change, and that will be valuable when making our case for Northern Ireland. Hopefully, in the…
I thank the Member for his important question. This is what Question Time is about: what affects people in Northern Ireland. The limitation of £1 million of agricultural property relief brings a considerable number of Northern Ireland farmers within the scope of inheritance tax. It is impossible to precisely determine…
A wide range of actions are being progressed. The nutrients action programme is the key measure to control nutrient pollution from agricultural sources and improve water quality and includes a wide range of measures on the storage, spreading and management of slurry, manures and chemical fertilisers. The nutrients…
My special adviser left her post on 13 August 2024. The Member will appreciate that it would not be appropriate to comment further on what is essentially a confidential HR process.
I am happy to speak to the Member on the specifics afterwards because we need to give her a detailed response. The Department has an enforcement policy, and it is key for people to report the issues urgently. One of the other issues is that we want to ensure that the fines and penalties are appropriate, and we are…
The Northern Ireland Environment Agency and my Department delivered three Lough Neagh outreach events in October 2024 around the lough shore to provide members of the public and other interested parties with information and guidance on blue-green algae. The events provided the opportunity for local stakeholders to see…
We have a number of small business research initiatives. One is being taken forward by the UK Space Agency that is about monitoring blue-green algae, and there is significant interest in that. Another is about tackling and, potentially, reducing the blue-green algae blooms in Lough Neagh. We recently announced a…
I have repeatedly said on the record that I am not involved in blame games — that is not where you will find me — and I do not believe in using some of the language that has been used in recent months. We need to work together to address the issues. We need to invest in waste water infrastructure, but we also need to…
For Lough Neagh, like many waterbodies across the globe, the primary environmental problem that leads to the growth of blue-green algae is the excessive enrichment of waters with nutrients, specifically phosphorus and nitrogen. We know that the main contributing factors in that enrichment are agriculture and waste…
There is already North/South disparity in agriculture when it comes to Budget settlements and investment. Some of that is, frankly, about the outworkings of Brexit, with Northern Ireland no longer being part of the European Union, whereas, in the Republic of Ireland, the common agricultural policy still applies and…
I will check my diary for that, but I will comment a wee bit on the issue that you have raised, which is about inheritance tax and agricultural property relief. It was a bad Budget for farmers, and one of the biggest issues is the decision on agricultural property relief. Northern Ireland will be disproportionately…
Rural affairs is a priority for me and something that I have been spending time on. I have a number of ministerial priorities, which includes rural affairs. It is something that we are progressing in developing a new rural policy that we will seek to consult on in due course. I am also making efforts to see how we can…
As the House will be aware, following the autumn Budget 2024 announcement last Wednesday, funding for agriculture, agri-environment and the wider rural economy will no longer be a ring-fenced addition to the Northern Ireland block grant. Instead, future funding for agriculture and fisheries will now be considered as…
There were a number of questions from the leader of the Opposition there. One was about Lough Neagh, and the other was about working with the Minister for Infrastructure on waste water infrastructure. I entirely refute the allegation that this is a Lough Neagh inaction plan. The Member will know that we are delivering…
The impact that waste water infrastructure has on our waterways more generally in Northern Ireland is about 24%. Obviously, that varies in different areas, but, in Belfast lough, it is substantial. We know that there is a need for investment in the Kinnegar waste water treatment works in Holywood; that has a specific…
My Department's role is to test bathing water quality, which you referenced. The recent report outlined that. There are a number of contributory factors to the pollution of our waterways. In Belfast lough, it is largely to do with waste water infrastructure. I continue to work with the Minister for Infrastructure on…
I am very aware of the recent Northern Ireland Water report, which is titled 'Story of Belfast Lough'. It paints a very concerning picture for all of us about an area in our constituency that is for Northern Ireland to use. I have reflected on the issue, and I have read the report. It is my strong view that, if…
The high levels of nutrient and bacterial pollution in Belfast lough have an impact on marine life, particularly in the area inward of the line between Carrickfergus and Grey Point, known as the inner lough and harbour. Within the inner regions of the lough, marine life shows signs of pollution pressures. Shellfish…