Debate contribution: Agriculture Bill: Extension of Committee Stage

Debate contribution by Mr Declan McAleer on 20 January 2025.

MLA

Mr Declan McAleer

Party at the time

Sinn Féin

Date

20 January 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Committee Business

Heading

Agriculture Bill: Extension of Committee Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4744234

Read the official Assembly record

Text

The Agriculture Bill is a pivotal piece of legislation, with significant implications for the agriculture and horticulture sectors. Given its importance, I support an extension of the Committee Stage to allow for more comprehensive scrutiny of its provisions. The Bill grants DAERA rights to modify, amend, repeal or revoke regulations, particularly those concerning the fruit and vegetable aid scheme and food promotion activities. Those are crucial for the future of our agri-food sector, rural economy and alignment with broader policy frameworks. A research paper recently presented to the AERA Committee, which the Chair mentioned, highlights concerns about advancing the Bill before completing reviews of post-EU agriculture support and food promotion schemes, both of which remain ongoing as part of the food strategy framework. The paper also raises questions about the potential for the Bill to constrain future policy decisions and notes a lack of clarity around DAERA's long-term plans for horticulture support. Clause 1 makes funding for the FVAS discretionary. That would have significant implications. The research paper warns that that could effectively lead to the closure of the scheme, creating uncertainty for the horticulture sector, especially the mushroom industry. Although the Minister has given his assurance that it will not be closed, the Bill gives no guarantees for continuation or replacement, so, effectively, it is not future-proofing it. The absence of an impact assessment on how those changes might affect the mushroom industry is another gap. Additionally, the budget pressures that are faced by DAERA, which have been made worse by Tory austerity, raise questions about whether discretionary funding will realistically support critical schemes such as the FVAS. The research paper highlights the fact that those constraints could lead to reduced or withdrawn support as other statutory obligations are prioritised. The accompanying rural needs impact assessment asserts that the Bill will have no direct impact on rural communities, but the research paper challenges that conclusion, warning that the changes to the FVAS or food promotion schemes could have economic consequences for rural businesses. A lack of further regulatory scrutiny for discretionary funding decisions heightens those concerns. Extending the Committee Stage is essential. It will allow members to consider the issues more thoroughly, engage with stakeholders and ensure that the Bill aligns with the long-term aims of our agriculture strategy. More time will enable us to address gaps in the Bill and deliver legislation that is robust, transparent and fair. The Assembly has a duty to support our agriculture sector, a cornerstone of our economy. By granting more time for scrutiny, we can strengthen the Bill to meet today's challenges and prepare for the future.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:46 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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