Debate contribution: Bovine Tuberculosis
Debate contribution by Mr Andrew Muir on .
- MLA
- Mr Andrew Muir
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 16 February 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Bovine Tuberculosis
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5391529
Read the official Assembly record
Text
As I mentioned, Minister Heydon and I are due soon to launch the new bovine TB eradication pilot in north-east Donegal and part of the area covered by Derry City and Strabane District Council. The regionalisation pilot will serve as a proof-of-concept model and will enable us to trial, evaluate and refine interventions in that defined geographical area. The approach to the TB regionalisation project will include implementing and monitoring measures across the three key themes of wildlife, cattle and people. Work on this important issue is already under way. Wildlife sett surveys commenced in January, with land access for the work secured across the vast majority of the designated area. Some 86% of local farmers have granted permission for access. That shows exceptionally strong cooperation and engagement from the farming community. The sett survey work, which will last for 12 weeks, will provide essential ecological information for wildlife intervention and TB breakdown management.
I ask Members to note that that project is entirely separate from the work on wildlife intervention options and is not, and should not be considered as, a predicator for any future decision that I may make on wildlife intervention policy.
195 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 (0.67).
- 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 | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.67 | 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 | 1.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.00 |
| Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:55 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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