Debate contribution: Farming and Fishing Industries: Engagement
Debate contribution by Mr Andrew Muir on .
- MLA
- Mr Andrew Muir
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 3 June 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Farming and Fishing Industries: Engagement
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4986080
Read the official Assembly record
Text
We have talked a wee bit about that today. I have made this very clear, but I will state again that the proposals are draft proposals, and it is a public consultation. It would be improper to close the public consultation and deny the public the opportunity to feed back. It is important that we give people an opportunity to consider the proposals and come back to us. We have received responses. I made it clear that we had a robust and frank exchange of views this morning with the Ulster Farmers' Union and the Northern Ireland Environment Link, but, out of that, there were constructive discussions about the potential to set up a stakeholder group, consisting of agri-food and environmental stakeholders, to consider the NAP proposals and the responses to the consultation and to inform decisions on what will be implemented and the time frames for doing so. I have been very clear about that engagement. There has been engagement, but there will be significantly more in the time ahead. We are very keen to do that and to engage with people. I recognise that the time frames for implementation are important for people. We are keen to find a way forward together. It is a public consultation, and those are draft proposals. I know that people have consultation fatigue, but it is an opportunity for people to feed back. I am very keen to engage with people in order to find a road ahead. On the fishing sector, which the Member mentioned, I am very disappointed with the UK Government's decision as part of the UK-EU agreement. I have been engaging with officials to see whether there is a package of support that we can deliver to the fishing industry in Northern Ireland.
295 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: 0.03 (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 (0.73).
- 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 | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.73 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.03 | 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 | 0.86 |
| Constitutional question, Brexit, the Windsor Framework and sovereignty | 0.14 |
| 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 12:46 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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