Debate contribution: Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

Debate contribution by Mr Timothy Gaston on 6 October 2026.

MLA: Mr Timothy Gaston
Party at the time: Traditional Unionist Voice
Date: 6 October 2026
Type: Debate contribution
Business: Private Members' Business
Heading: Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Assembly identifier: Official Report component 5776768

Text

What we witnessed this morning was not the first time that Andrew Muir scurried away from scrutiny. It was not the first time that he ran away and turned his back on the industry. That is why Mr Muir, who no doubt sits in his office, watching from afar, will be known as the worst Minister ever to have held the brief that contains agriculture. During the Minister's time in office, he has prioritised his environmental ideology over championing the industry that puts food on our plates. Under Muir, dither and delay are the order of the day, and endless consultations and talking shops take priority over safeguarding our food security. The Northern Ireland agri-industry was built from the ground up through hard graft and long hours. Farming is not a nine-to-five job. It is a way of life for many of our family farms. Whilst I recognise that the Minister has a varied portfolio, time and time again the agri-industry has been let down by a Minister who simply either does not understand or does not care. At any opportunity, he would rather throw it under the bus than stand up for our hard-working farmers. At a time when many of our family farms across Northern Ireland are suffering from policies made by environmental lunatics, farmers need a Minister who will stand up for them and not merely be a parrot for the Department. Unfortunately, that is what we witnessed in the aftermath of the massacre in Fivemiletown. Instead of listening to the public outrage, the Minister's first response was to publicly defend and praise the DAERA staff who were involved, before having to cow back, bow to public pressure and commence his not-so-independent external review. Prior to sending in the inhumane hit squad to kill 51 healthy animals, Andrew Muir knew that it was going to happen. What did he do? Absolutely nothing.
I am happy to give way.
I agree 100% with the Member's intervention. Mrs Long did not take an intervention; I was going to make that very point to her. She was more interested in being angry and putting on a show than debating with Members. What happened in Fivemiletown torpedoed the myth that Andrew Muir has animal welfare as his top priority. Once he came under pressure and was rightly called out, the Minister, not for the first time, played the victim card, this time citing misogyny and sectarianism. Mr Muir, I have news for you: the farmers do not care about your religion; the farmers do not care what gender you identify as; and the farmers do not care what colour of dicky bow you turn up in. All they want is for you to turn up, stand with them and do your job. They want sustainable farms to pass on to their next generation. Under Minister Muir, DAERA has, once again, been exposed as operating under the mantra, "Do as I say, not as I do". If the reckless actions that were deployed by the hit squad had been carried out by a farmer, their guns would have been lifted and they would have spent time behind bars. The Fivemiletown farmer had already found new homes for 21 of his cattle, yet, during its day-long massacre, the Department managed to shoot one of the cattle that had been sold. Minister, no amount of fudge could be cooked up and served with your external review that would cover the fact that a local farmer, who had already purchased six of the cattle, was willing to pay market value for the rest, but you decided, "No, those cattle should be slaughtered".
Look at the lunacy that was then exposed for all to see. Department officials allowed three calves that turned up in the days after the DAERA hit squad claimed that it had shot them, including a calf that had been shot through the neck, to be transferred to another farm. Why were the 51 cattle not allowed to face the same humane disposal? All that we have to do is look at AFBI. He is a Minister for brushing things under the carpet. What did they do at AFBI? They said, "No, no. That happened long ago". What the Minister cannot answer to is this: the AFBI scandal was ongoing at the same time as is referred to by the court order —
— that ended up in the culling of 51 healthy cattle.
It is time that Minister Muir was out of office.

751 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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