Debate contribution: Avian Influenza

Debate contribution by Mr Andrew Muir on 17 February 2025.

MLA

Mr Andrew Muir

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

17 February 2025

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Question for Urgent Oral Answer

Heading

Avian Influenza

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4802935

Read the official Assembly record

Text

First, I thank the officials in my Department, who were working all weekend on site until late last night to deal with the issue. I spoke to the Chief Veterinary Officer late last night, and he outlined the efforts that are being undertaken to deal with the issue. I prioritised being on site to deal with the issue, and I am happy to come to the Chamber to answer questions. I have also engaged with the media. I thank the officials for their work, and I am happy to come here to engage with Members on the issue. I also thank farmers across Northern Ireland, particularly those in the poultry industry who are working in close partnership with us on the issue. I am very grateful to them for that. I spoke to the president of the Ulster Farmers' Union last night, and we agreed that the most important thing is to emphasise the message about biosecurity and how key it is. My Department will pay the compensation for the birds that are culled as a result of the outbreak. It is important to support the poultry industry, and I will work within my Department's budget to cover the compensation, because it is important that we give that assistance to the farming community in Northern Ireland. That is what I am committed to doing.

Thank you, Mr McAleer, for your question. The contamination highlights the highly pathogenic nature of avian influenza. The poultry farm in question is a really excellent operation, and, as I understand as a result of initial investigations, the flock was housed. That highlights the importance of biosecurity here in Northern Ireland and of doing all that we can to protect the national flock. Biosecurity can have a 44-fold impact on dealing with the outbreak, and that is why I moved very quickly to put a zone across the whole of Northern Ireland, mandating those biosecurity measures. In addition, I have moved on housing. There are many stories from across England and Scotland of farms having been really badly affected as a result of avian influenza, and we have worked really hard in conjunction with the poultry industry to keep it out of Northern Ireland. Sadly, it has arrived, and we are working to address it. There is one example of late in England of avian influenza coming on board a farm and over one million birds, unfortunately, had to be culled. That highlights the importance of us all working together on the issue and of giving that biosecurity message to everyone.

The most important thing is biosecurity on the farm. That is critical. Those measures are mandatory as a result of the order that I made last month, and there are many aspects to it. They are available on the DAERA website, which outlines the requirements. It is about ensuring that you follow good practice. We are ensuring disinfection. We are managing, for example, effective vermin control. We are ensuring correct record-keeping and that there is no direct contact with poultry and other captive birds in neighbouring premises. There are many actions that we can take, and the details are on the DAERA website.

The Department is responding very swiftly. This winter, avian influenza arrived in England last year on 5 November. Then we had an issue with three wild birds that were found in Northern Ireland on 16 and 17 January. Immediately upon that occurring, I declared an avian influenza prevention zone across the whole of Northern Ireland on Saturday 18 January. Note that I implemented that for the whole of Northern Ireland. Then there was an avian influenza outbreak at a nature reserve near Magherafelt on 7 February. A zone was immediately introduced as a result of that. Very quickly thereafter, I engaged with my counterpart in the South, and we announced that a housing order would be introduced. We announced that on 12 February. I note that, when I announced that housing order, people criticised me for it, but I proceeded because I thought that it was important to introduce it. I know that it is inconvenient for people, but I proceeded with it, and it is in place from today. Again, I emphasise that biosecurity is the most effective measure that we can take to manage avian influenza. It reduces the risk 44-fold. As Mr McAleer outlined, the flock was housed, so it is really important that we come together on the issue and give that very strong message about biosecurity in Northern Ireland. It is important that we all emphasise its importance on all farms. I commend the farms across Northern Ireland and the president of the Ulster Farmers' Union for his leadership on the issue. Collectively, we can emphasise the point about biosecurity.

Thank you, Mr McGlone. We will cover compensation for the birds culled. I am in a difficult budgetary position, but I will prioritise that because it is important that we prioritise farmers in Northern Ireland, and that is what I am doing. I am working within the legislative framework and the position that was adopted during previous incursions by previous Ministers. My approach to compensation is the same as that of GB and Ireland. It is important for me to give the reassurance that we will cover compensation for the birds that have been culled. Ireland is a single epidemiological area, and North/South cooperation is important. I have been in constant engagement with the relevant Minister down South, Martin Heydon, as I was with his predecessor, Charlie McConalogue. I spoke to Martin when we had a meeting on this last Tuesday. I also engaged with him yesterday. We work in close cooperation, which is why there is a housing order in place across the island of Ireland. I have also engaged with the Secretary of State today.

It is really important that I emphasise that my thoughts are with the farmers who have been affected. They provide a great example of good practice, and my heart goes out to them over what has happened with avian influenza. That is why, as politicians and as a farming community, we need to come together. The current advice from the Public Health Agency is that avian influenza is primarily a disease of birds and that the risk to the general public's health is very low. The Food Standards Agency advice notes that avian influenza poses a very low food safety risk for UK consumers and that properly cooked poultry and poultry products, including eggs, are safe to eat.

Thank you, Mr Buchanan, for your question. I totally get the concern about this. It is important that we support our farming industry. The poultry industry is worth a significant amount to the economy in Northern Ireland. As I said, we will cover compensation for the birds culled. I am working within the legislative framework that previous Ministers used in past incursions, and I am taking the same approach that has been adopted by GB and Ireland. I know that officials are on-site at the farm, supporting the operation. We are continuing to engage in that. I work within the vires that I have as Minister, and I will continue to support the farming industry in the time ahead.

I regularly engage with the Ulster Farmers' Union. I spoke to its president last night about avian influenza. We were collectively of the strong opinion that it is a highly pathogenic disease that can, unfortunately, affect farms across Northern Ireland — it does not discriminate — and our thoughts are with the farmer who has been affected. It is really important that the Chamber, the agriculture industry and the Ulster Farmers' Union come together, as we are doing, to emphasise the importance of biosecurity and of taking the measures that we can to manage the risk of this highly pathogenic outbreak.

We continue to encourage flock keepers to register with the Department because, if they do so, we can give out communications. We have extensive information on our website, which I encourage people to visit. Communication is key, and I encourage anyone who has not registered to do so.

I have already addressed a number of those questions and I am happy to go over them. I have been in regular engagement with the Chief Veterinary Officer. I have spoken to him a number of times today, as well as yesterday, late last night and throughout the outbreak. I am in constant contact with him. It is important that I put on record my thanks to the veterinary service staff in my Department, who have worked night and day on this issue. They were on site until late last night dealing with it. I am very thankful for the service that they have given. The primary contact with the farmer is through the veterinary service staff, who have been engaging with the individual. It is important that I state that. As I said, I spoke to the president of the Ulster Farmers' Union last night, and I continue to engage with people on the issue. I am sorry to keep emphasising this, but it is important. It is really important that we communicate and share the biosecurity measures that can be implemented on farms so that people are aware of the actions that they can take to keep the disease out.

The biosecurity measures that need to apply to farms are mandatory, and have been since Saturday 18 January. To be honest, we should not be in a situation where we are discussing putting them in place now. They should already be in place. Those minimum biosecurity measures apply to all keepers. The poultry industry has been excellent in stepping forward to implement the measures. That is not where my concern is: it is to ensure that we are aware of the precautions that we can take. They are outlined on my departmental website. The actions that people can take are precautions to avoid the transfer of virus contamination between premises, including the cleansing and disinfection of equipment. It is also important to ensure that feed, water and bedding are stored to minimise the risk of virus contamination; effective vermin control; ensuring that only essential movements take place; ensuring that records are kept, including of poultry, captive birds and egg movements; ensuring that buildings that house birds are maintained; and ensuring that there is no direct contact with poultry or other captive birds on neighbouring premises. Ducks and geese should not be kept in the same pen or building as other poultry species. There are further, enhanced measures for premises with over 500 poultry. Those are mandatory measures that have been in place since 18 January, and they reduce the risk 44-fold. It is important that we implement them. The housing order will reduce the risk twofold. It was really important that I moved on that, and it is in place from today. The biosecurity measures are absolutely key.

1,826 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:01 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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