Debate contribution: Nutrients Action Programme: Consultation
Debate contribution by Mr Andrew Muir on .
- MLA
- Mr Andrew Muir
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 30 June 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Nutrients Action Programme: Consultation
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5043097
Read the official Assembly record
Text
The consultation has received nearly 200 responses. I get farmers' concerns about the nutrients action programme consultation. The proposals are complex, and the documentation goes to over 1,000 pages. I am listening to those concerns. That is why, as I have outlined today, once the consultation closes in the next few weeks, we will set up a stakeholder group. It will have an independent external facilitator who will go through the responses and anything else that comes back. Let us be clear that nothing is off the table. If anyone else has any proposals, I am happy for those to be considered by the group. I will ask the group to come back to me with proposals that are workable at farm level and have realistic time frames alongside our legislative obligations. We will then go forward to a further consultation, which will include an economic assessment of the impact of the proposed measures. That is a genuine effort to find a way forward. I owe it to everyone in Northern Ireland, particularly the farming community, to shape a way forward that gives people confidence in the nutrients action programme. I understand the concerns that have been expressed. I am a genuine kind of person: I have been listening, and I am trying to find a way forward. A lot of discussions have taken place, and, as I have said previously, I will wish to be able to provide financial capital support. The key determinant of that will be the budget that is allocated to my Department. If the Finance Minister and I can work together, we will hopefully be able to provide support — for example, for low-emission slurry spreading equipment (LESSE) equipment — and help farmers on the road ahead. It is an important issue, and I will say in conclusion that what we have consulted on will not be the final package. I can say that with confidence because it is a consultation. I have been listening to people's concerns. I am very keen to ensure that we have something that is workable at farm level but has realistic time frames and meets our legal obligations.
359 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 (0.87).
- 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 | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.87 | 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 | 0.98 |
| Another identity-related subject | 0.02 |
| 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 13:01 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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