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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 flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. I hope that I am not jumping the gun too much, but I congratulate Robbie Butler on his selection as Chair of the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee. I am looking forward to working with you, Robbie, on what is a wide range of issues in the Department.…
I met the chief executive of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency this morning, and we discussed the issue. I am seeking definitive timelines to take forward the consultation because we need to get started so that we can engage with the public and move towards finalisation of our preferred option. On the Programme…
The Programme for Government is necessarily focused on strategic priorities for the Executive. There are many areas in my Department's remit that I would like to see in the Programme for Government, but I have to be honest that there are only so many things that we can put in one document if it is to remain strategic.…
The answer is yes. The Strategic Investment Board (SIB) did a review of the partnership. The outcome of that has been shared with the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee. There is a role for the TBEP, and we have to decide what the format of that is, but it is important that whatever we do is based on…
A strategy is already in place, as the Speaker will be aware. We are not about creating new documents; the Chief Veterinary Officer has been doing a short and sharp review of what is and what is not working and what more we can do. The results will be announced in the next number of weeks. It is fair to say that there…
Officials are working through the responses to that consultation. Hopefully, I will be able to set out a way forward in the next number of months. I am engaging with stakeholders on the consultation. I am meeting a number of chief executives from district councils tomorrow, so I am attuned to some of the concerns that…
My Department is taking forward a number of actions to improve recycling. We recently closed a consultation on proposals on recycling, and we are evaluating responses to that. In the climate change legislation there is an ambition that we reach 70% by 2030. That is a good target, and I want to exceed it. I have that…
I am concerned about the bluetongue situation. I had a meeting with the president and officers of the Ulster Farmers' Union and the Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers Association yesterday, alongside the Chief Veterinary Officer and officials. I emphasise to the House, because we all have a role to play as MLAs,…
The cost of TB is significant to my Department but also, more particularly, to farmers in Northern Ireland. I recognise that, while there is a cost to compensation, that does not reflect the full cost to farmers in terms of the loss that is felt on the farm and, to be honest, the mental health impacts. I have spoken…
I would be delighted to take up that invite. I am busy, but it is important to get along to it. In the plan, there is a strategic outcome that is "Thriving, resilient and connected nature and wildlife", and a commitment to a nature recovery strategy. A lot of this is absolutely key to the actions that need to be taken…
It is fantastic that the environmental improvement plan was agreed. It was a long time coming, but we got it agreed. It is a key framework for us for the actions that we need to take to protect our environment and to address environmental degradation. It is not the ceiling of my ambition, but it is a key framework for…
The green growth strategy was developed by officials. A draft was consulted on. We hope to bring the final document to the Executive very soon, because the strategy makes it clear that there are opportunities ahead for us from decarbonisation and taking the road to net zero. I am very keen to do that. I met the Green…
I have lead responsibility for climate change in the Executive, but it is also a cross-departmental responsibility. We also need to step together across society, because the only way in which we will address the issues arising from climate change is by doing so together. I take the issue seriously, and I have…
I am meeting stakeholders next Tuesday about our future rural affairs policy. The issue that the Member outlined will form part of that consideration. Through the consultation on the future rural affairs policy, we will be able to incorporate the findings and recommendations from the report that the Member mentioned…
That work has been undertaken. It has come across my desk. We have also written to Departments to see whether they want to designate any other bodies under it. I am also undertaking a review of rural affairs policy. Ideally, I want to be able to review the 2016 Act to give it more teeth, but I need the resources to do…
I thank the Member for his question. I recognise the issues that he outlined. I will write to the Member with specific information. It is quite detailed. We must recognise the importance of protecting our environment. I also recognise the issues that he outlined about, for example, leisure activity and how that is…
My Department does not have a statutory duty to undertake dredging in Lough Neagh at the mouth of the Sixmilewater river. That rests with the Department for Infrastructure, which is responsible for the navigation channels and carrying out necessary maintenance work on certain quays in Lough Neagh to provide navigable…
NIEA has in place an enforcement policy regarding water pollution investigations. It is important that I encourage everyone to report pollution incidents promptly. I have had Members report pollution incidents to me far too late in the day. We need those reports to come through immediately. We have a pollution hotline…
I know personally about the issue of bathing water quality at Ballyholme. The problem has been going on for far too long, and it needs to be addressed. Ballyholme bathing water had an overall "sufficient" status from 2018 to 2021, but it was "poor" in 2022 and 2023. To address that drop in annual classification,…
I am aware that open-water swimming and bathing is extremely popular and that there has been an upsurge in those activities in recent years. The situation with water quality is not acceptable, and we need to take action. We need to invest in waste water infrastructure, look at the regulatory regime between NI Water…
My Department is working to compile results and to work through the process so that it can release the 2024 annual bathing water classification. As the results are an official statistic and subject to the Pre-release Access to Official Statistics Order (Northern Ireland) 2009, I cannot comment further at this point. I…