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Does the Member agree that, during COVID, the farmers stepped up and made sure that our families in Northern Ireland were fed, that they were a key and critical part of the fight against COVID, and that it is about time that the UK Government recognised the role that they play and how critical they are?
I thank the proposer of the motion and welcome the opportunity to highlight the failure of the British Government to prioritise farming families and the rural economy in the autumn Budget. The introduction of new thresholds for inheritance tax and the change to agricultural property relief will have a significant…
The Alliance Party welcomes the motion, and we thank the proposer and her colleagues for tabling it. I also express our condemnation of the UK Government's total failure to protect farming families and our rural communities in the recent autumn Budget. The decisions made in that Budget regarding our agriculture sector…
I too welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. It addresses a matter of critical importance for our farming families, rural communities and the wider agriculture sector. The Assembly and, indeed, our party condemn the British Government's recent autumn Budget for neglecting the pressing needs of our rural…
I support the motion and express my deep concern about the UK Government's failure to adequately prioritise farming families and the rural economy in their 2024 autumn Budget. The decision to introduce new thresholds for inheritance tax and agricultural property relief represents not just a financial burden but a…
I beg to move The autumn Budget was a disaster for farming families and the rural community. The 6,000 people who attended the Eikon exhibition centre last night will attest to that. It was a Budget dreamt up by a socialist Government with no consideration for rural communities. While the new thresholds for…
I thank everyone for contributing to the debate this afternoon. It went a lot more smoothly than I initially thought it would, but it is great that we have consensus across the Floor. That demonstrates the nature of bovine TB, which is a disease that continues to weigh heavily on our agriculture sector and on the…
Does the Member think that it would be wise to consider the possibility of reintroducing the wolf to Ireland's landscape to control the wild deer population? Wolves were wiped out after the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.
Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I welcome the debate. At the outset, I declare an interest in that my husband's family has a farm. In the Chamber previously, we have mentioned the very real challenges that TB places on farms in Northern Ireland. In the past year, one in 10 farms has experienced the difficulties…
Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank the Members for tabling this important motion. Since coming into post at the start of the year, I have had numerous opportunities to hear at first hand the difficulties from a financial and well-being perspective that are faced by farm businesses that are suffering from…
My apologies for my rushed entrance. This is an important debate on bovine tuberculosis, which continues to plague our farming community. It impacts on not only agricultural output but the physical, mental and financial well-being of farmers across Northern Ireland. When I was first announced as the Chair of the AERA…
It is telling that the Minister and, indeed, the motion dance around the main issue. We often talk about the need to address the elephant in the room. In this case, there is a need to address problems that, in the main, are caused by badgers. If the Assembly and the Minister are to get serious about addressing bovine…
I am grateful for the opportunity to address the Assembly on the issue. Rural MLAs in particular will have heard some story from one of their constituents about how horrendous the situation is, and I have seen that not least in my constituency of North Antrim. We have to approach the challenge through a balanced and…
I declare an interest as a partner in a livestock farm business. Bovine TB is an important issue and one that has generated significant concern for many years among the farming community in Northern Ireland. It is a battle that continues to rage, and much more could be done by the Department to drive down rates of…
We come together today to address a challenge that is central to rural life in the North of Ireland. Bovine tuberculosis persistently threatens animal health, burdening farmers with economic, emotional and social costs. To support the motion is to recognise the heavy toll that bovine TB takes on our farmers. For many,…
On top of the emotional impact, there is a financial impact. Farmers are compensated for beasts that have to be destroyed, but having to close their herd for four months means that their farm turnover is completely stopped and goes off a cliff edge. That has an enormous emotional and mental impact, as well as an…
I welcome the motion and the opportunity to highlight the issue of bovine TB and discuss how the Minister, with the support of his Executive colleagues, intends to address it. I am not sure what the amendment adds — I will support it, by the way — other than a specific mention of wildlife intervention. I presume that…
I thank Members for their contributions so far and those who tabled the important motion. Bovine TB is one of the most significant and expensive infectious diseases affecting our agri-food sector in Northern Ireland. As an MLA for the rural constituency of Fermanagh and South Tyrone, where TB rates are amongst the…