Every imported question, contribution and motion, with its classification. Unflagged, uncertain and not-yet-analysed records are all included so the analysis can be checked independently.
I do not have the information to hand, but I will pass it on to Dr Blake as a question that has been raised and to which a response is sought. I say this to you and to many others: I am sincere about animal welfare and understand its importance. At a previous Question Time, I set out the review of our enforcement…
I thank the Minister. Yes, I am very conscious of commentary from some on the opposite Benches that has, at times, been highly inappropriate. Minister, can you confirm the total costs to your Department and the public purse of the operation that was carried out on that day in slaughtering 51 cattle: the staffing…
As the Member is aware, I commissioned an independent, external review. Dr Martin Blake is undertaking that review. I expect it to be completed by the middle of October. I would like to be able to publish the review's findings and recommendations, and the departmental response, in due course thereafter. As the Member…
I thank the Minister for his answer. He mentioned the one party that has blocked it. That same party's Minister of Education has railroaded lots of policies through the House without Executive approval. Lots of people's kids were off school last Friday because of his TransformED policy. Minister, will you look at what…
The establishment of an independent environmental protection agency is a matter that must be considered and agreed by the Executive. It is a necessary step in order to secure resources from the Office of the Legislative Counsel for the development and introduction of primary legislation. That step cannot be taken by…
The health effects of air pollution are now well established and backed up by research that shows that there are clear links between air pollution and negative health outcomes. A British Heart Foundation report from 2023, 'Air Pollution and Mortality on the Island of Ireland', highlighted the fact that 936 deaths in…
Thank you very much for that update, Minister. Air quality is a crucial issue in South Belfast, which has so much traffic flowing through it daily. What is your assessment of the link between air pollution and public health? Moreover, how will the draft strategy be received by the health sector?
The draft clean sir strategy sets out a range of measures that will improve air quality across Northern Ireland, including in urban areas such as South Belfast, where people can be more exposed to pollution from transport, domestic heating and other sources. The strategy is currently out for public consultation, and I…
Thank you, John. The NIEA works closely with the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service on waste-fire prevention, incident response and the identification of lessons learned following significant fire events. To strengthen further that partnership, the NIEA and the Fire and Rescue Service are currently reviewing…
I know that waste management matters are important to the Minister. What engagement has there been on such matters between the NIEA and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service?
I thank the Member for his question. I can give him an assurance that there will be maximum transparency within the law. As he probably recognises, when it comes to any enforcement cases, we have a process to follow, but the default position is transparency. As the Member is aware, that was the second large fire at…
I thank the Minister for his answer. I would welcome such a review. As Minister and a Member from a neighbouring constituency, he will be aware of the incident at the Clearway site on 2 September 2026, which is one of a number of incidents over the past year or two. Will he commit to publishing the NIEA inspection…
Waste management authorisations require operators to manage waste in a manner that protects human health and the environment. Authorisation conditions include requirements relating to fire prevention, waste storage and operational controls proportionate to the risks posed by the waste being handled. I recognise the…
I work night and day to achieve a future that is thriving and resilient and is environmentally sustainable for farming. That is hard, because the challenges are immense, but I am committed to doing that. We want to see measures that are workable at farm level within realistic time frames, but we also want to meet our…
There has been plenty of talk in the House today about not going back. Can the Minister confirm that there will not be any going back to the unworkable and unfair NAP proposals, and, as Agriculture Minister, will he ensure that he will protect that industry and work with it constructively to reach a fair settlement…
As I set out, the criteria for the stakeholder group were very clear. We must strive for that, but we also must abide by the law. When we talk about the rule of law, in this role, my focus is not just on criminal law but on environmental law, and it is important that we abide by that. Alongside that, we must support…
The consequences are twofold. They are catastrophic, frankly. If we do not address the issues that I have warned the House about repeatedly, we will have a significant issue when it comes to the long-term viability of farming and our international reputation, which we rely upon for trade. We also face the complete and…
I thank the Minister for his response. Can the Minister set out what the consequences for Lough Neagh will be if agricultural pollution is not addressed?
I welcome the detailed advice and recommendations that I received from the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) in its response to the consultation on the proposed measures in the revised nutrients action programme (NAP). My Department is carefully considering those recommendations alongside all the other…
— and support charity as well. I accept that — I am aware that people have a concern about what is in the outfall in those areas. We need to have more EDMs and more real-time monitoring and reporting of those. It is a key part of our waste water regulatory reform programme to see those EDMs rolled out more broadly by…
The Member will be aware that, in our constituency, we have a number of designated bathing areas, including Helen's Bay and Crawfordsburn. I invite him to join me at Helen's Bay on Christmas Eve. I am sure that you will step up to that —
I hope that the Minister is not going to offer that to those of us in our constituency. Minister, in your answer to a previous question, you said that your Department is collecting out-of-season data to inform whether bathing waters are safe. In Ards and North Down, as you might be aware, there are 231 storm…
I would be delighted to do that. What is more, I will give you a challenge. I am happy to do that down in your constituency, and, if we can go for a dip as part of that, I would be delighted to take up the offer.