Member's statement: DAERA Net Zero Survey
Member's statement by Mr Robbie Butler on .
- MLA
- Mr Robbie Butler
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 4 March 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- DAERA Net Zero Survey
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4832828
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I welcome a survey that has been launched by Minister Muir, who has taken the time to seek the opinions and attitudes of farmers, who will be most directly affected by future net zero proposals in agriculture. It is vital that policy is shaped, I am sure that we all agree, by those who work the land to produce our food and who will bear the consequences of any regulatory changes. However, my purpose in speaking this morning is to issue my concern that the survey appears to be open to anyone to complete and submit, with the link being widely shared on social media.
Whilst engagement and hearing the voices of those who will be impacted most is important, there are, sadly, serious questions about the integrity of the data being gathered at the very start of the consultation. If non-target individuals are able to participate, how can we be assured that the results will accurately reflect the views of Northern Ireland's farmers and growers?
The farmers from Lagan Valley who contacted me this morning are genuinely concerned that their views will not be represented. It is vital for participation in targeted consultation that the process is not open to invalid involvement, but, sadly, this morning, the evidence is already appearing across social media that that is not the case. I urge the Department to act speedily in this regard, because we know that our farmers are under incredible pressure not just because of draconian taxes and the onslaught of TB but, now, when they are being asked to contribute to the climate debate, which we all want to be part of, there is, unfortunately, already some nervousness that the consultation process developed by the Department is not fit for purpose. I do not raise that to be naughty; I raise it to get the message out that we need to act with haste.
315 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.04 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.89).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.04 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.03 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.04 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.04 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.89 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.04 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.85 |
| Another identity-related subject | 0.15 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:02 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
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