Debate contribution: Energy, Food and Environmental Security: Biomethane

Debate contribution by Ms Sinéad McLaughlin on 20 April 2026.

MLA

Ms Sinéad McLaughlin

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

20 April 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Energy, Food and Environmental Security: Biomethane

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5494172

Read the official Assembly record

Text

The SDLP will support the motion, because, at its core, it speaks to something that we cannot ignore, which is that Northern Ireland is at a turning point. We face rising energy costs, pressures on our farming sector and a growing environmental crisis, particularly around nutrients, water quality and waste. Too often, those challenges are viewed in isolation. I also found myself nodding at Phillip Brett's remarks, as, indeed, I did at David's. We need a big plan. It needs to come together, and very quickly. We and our constituents are being let down by the failure to deliver it. Not only do we not have a plan but we are falling back on the progress that was made in the past. It offers a practical way to turn waste into value. Slurry, poultry litter and food waste — materials that are currently a problem — could instead become a source of energy, income and sustainability. That is a compelling proposition. Biomethane is not theoretical; it already works elsewhere. It is actually working here, too, so it is about expanding and supporting it. It can be injected into the existing gas grid, used by businesses without major change and produced here at home. That matters, because energy security matters. We all know that we are too exposed to global shocks: we live with it every day and have seen it repeatedly in recent years. That will occur in the future as well, unless we grow our supply of and support for renewables here, when we can. A home-grown energy source produced in rural communities would help to stabilise prices and keep value in our local community. That matters to farmers, too. Farmers are under pressure, economically and environmentally. If this is done right, biomethane can provide a new income stream, while helping to manage slurry nutrients more effectively. As others have said, however, it must be done right. Biomethane, while part of our arsenal, is not a silver bullet. We have been warned clearly that, without powers and safeguards —.

Thank you. It is not often that we have solutions to such major global problems, but we actually have some of the solutions, here at home, to support us in these times of crisis. The unfortunate piece is that what is occurring now will occur again, so we need to prepare and plan for that future. I go back to the issue of safeguards and doing it properly. We have been warned clearly that, without proper safeguards, anaerobic digestion can create new environmental problems rather than solving existing ones. If it drives more intensive farming, increases nutrient spreading or diverts land use away from food production or supporting nature, we will simply replace one problem with another, which we will have to look to solve at a later date. That cannot happen. We support the ambition of the motion, but ambition must be matched by responsibility, which means having a strategy that is genuinely cross-departmental; clear environmental safeguards from the outset, not as an afterthought; and a focus on genuine waste streams, rather than creating demand that distorts farming practices. It means getting the basics right: planning, grid connections and a support mechanism that gives investors the confidence to invest and to act. Without that framework, that opportunity will simply pass us by and investment will go elsewhere. This is one of the rare areas in which economic growth, environmental protection and energy security can align, but they can only do that if Government lead properly, plan properly and listen to both industry and environmentalists. We support the motion, not as a blank cheque but as a call to get this right and to build a biomethane sector that works for farmers, protects our environment and delivers real energy security for the people whom we represent.

636 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:26 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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