Tom Buchanan
West Tyrone · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“However, the Bill must give hydro operators clarity and confidence, through a sustainable licensing framework with long-term regulatory certainty, to enable them to invest and upgrade, modernise and improve fish pass technology.”
“I note that quite a bit of work in the Bill falls to the Department with regard to monitoring, enforcement and scientific assessment, which will require adequate resourcing. <BR /> <BR />The Bill must strike the right balance between encouraging investment and protecting sensitive freshwater habitats.”
“I welcome the opportunity to say a few words at Second Stage of the Fisheries, Aquaculture and Water Environment Bill. It is overdue legislation, which touches on three interlinked systems: commercial fisheries; growing the aquaculture sector; and the wider water environment, with an ambition to modernise regulation while supporting susta…”
“<BR /> <BR />Hydro schemes and hydropower to produce clean energy that will contribute to decarbonisation targets must be catered for in the Bill, with a clear vision for their future expansion. Those are not abstract infrastructure projects but local assets that generate clean renewable energy while supporting employment in rural areas.”
“Minister, under your watch, many miles of posts and wire fencing were put up along the A5 western transport corridor. However, in the past few weeks, a good bit of that has been removed by a mechanical digger and pushed into a pile for dumping.”
“In reality, however, every notice, every new form and every new administrative step will be another cost to councils. We simply cannot keep relying on councils to pick up the cost. We cannot pretend that council budgets are elastic, with plenty of stretch left in them. As is the case in many other sectors, councils are under pressure.”
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“<BR /> <BR />The Northern Ireland Rural Valuers' Association (NIRVA) and the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers recently published an in-depth report into the impact of the October 2024 Budget inheritance tax charges on the farming community, which revealed stark challenges for the continued livelihoods of the farming community. The study assessed the values of nine typical farm types, focusing on those that primarily produce a livelihood. The findings demonstrate that many of those modest owner-occupied farms, often in sole ownership, are highly vulnerable. They face severe financial burdens that could force drastic operational changes to their businesses.”
“The announcement of the Chancellor's Budget in autumn 2024 not only dealt a body blow to the agriculture industry in Northern Ireland but was a complete betrayal of our hard-working family farmers, who are the cornerstone of our economy and a fundamental part of our local communities and rural life. The dismantling of historical agricultural property relief and the introduction of a 20% inheritance tax on family farms that are valued in excess of £1 million is an unprecedented and unjust assault on the backbone of this vital industry. It threatens livelihoods and the very survival of family farms and has the potential to force many farm businesses to sell off land and assets in order to keep them out of debt as they struggle to manage huge tax liabilities.”
“Can the Minister give any indication of the impact that the damage has had on pupils and teachers?”
“That creates a genuine concern amongst the families of victims that key evidence from the Republic may never be examined. <BR /> <BR />Today, in the House, I call upon the Taoiseach and Mr Harris, for the sake of the Omagh families, to have done with their hypocrisy and speaking from both sides of their mouth and to do the honourable thing by bringing forward a structure for a parallel inquiry in the South, rather than continuing to harbour and cover up for the perpetrators of that evil act.”
“However, the blatant refusal of the Dublin Government to provide a structure for a parallel inquiry south of the border is totally appalling. The victims deserve truth, accountability and justice on both sides of the border. The Dublin Government cannot ignore the fact that the Omagh bomb was planned, prepared and transported to Omagh from the Republic of Ireland, yet it appears that they still want to provide a safe haven for those murderers. While the Taoiseach, Mr Martin, and his sidekick, Simon Harris, seek to justify their decision by stating that the Irish Government will ensure full cooperation with the inquiry, the fact remains that the UK inquiry has no authority to call witnesses from the Republic or compel them to give evidence.”
“<BR /> <BR />For many of the families, this is the first time in the past 27 years that they have spoken publicly about the type of person that their loved one was and the great loss that they sustained on that bleak August afternoon. The tears and grief bear testimony to the pain of personal loss that they have carried over the past 27 years and their pursuit of truth and justice. Lives, families and homes were changed forever. Today, this question is still being asked: "For what?". What was the motive for such a vicious act of violent terrorism and cold-blooded murder? <BR /> <BR />Over the years, the families have fought a courageous battle for truth and justice on what was one of the deadliest atrocities of the Troubles.”
“Today marks the commencement of the third week of the Omagh bomb inquiry, a human atrocity that tore the heart out of Omagh, claiming 31 lives, including two unborn children, and injuring over 220 people, leaving many families bereft of their loved ones, a grief and pain that they carry with them to this very day. Over the past two weeks, all those following the inquiry will, no doubt, have been greatly touched by the pain and continuing grief of those families, who have provided testimonials of their children, sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives who tragically lost their lives in that terrible atrocity carried out by the Real IRA.”
“— of recycled nappies in tarmac, concrete and so forth. Sorry?”
“I will leave it at that. <BR /> <BR />My colleague spoke about the successful recycling scheme that has been operating in Wales since 2009. She asked a very important question: why can we not have that here? That is a question for the Minister: why can we not have that same scheme here? It is delivering so effectively in Wales. She also spoke of using —”
“<BR /> <BR />Robbie Butler said that both approaches — the motion and the amendment — point towards urgent action being required and the need to tackle this and do something different. That is the message going around the Chamber today. It requires leadership and innovation. That is key to all of this. It requires leadership from the Minister and it requires innovation. The Minister must lead on the issue. I come back to the question of whether he is prepared to do so. He is very passionate about recycling and setting targets, but, on this issue, is he prepared to take the lead? <BR /> <BR />Matthew O'Toole spoke about the importance of the subject and the importance of recycling such products, but, as is always the case with the leader of the Opposition, there was a "but". He then wandered away from the subject completely.”
“She then spoke about writing to the 11 councils on issue and said that a number of them have expressed an interest in a scheme being introduced to deal with the issue. <BR /> <BR />John Blair referred to this as an important issue and said that it can take hundreds of years for one of those nappies to disintegrate in a landfill. That is absolutely right. He spoke about the Department introducing a waste management strategy, but I wonder what consultation has taken place with councils on that particular issue. <BR /> <BR />Nicola Brogan spoke of aiming for net zero and the change that must come about. We must change things if we want to reach that, and it is critical to look at best practice around the world. I hope that the Minister and the Department are doing that: looking at best practice around the world.”
“To come back to some of the other Members who have spoken today, my colleague, in opening the debate, raised concerns about reducing the size of the grey bin or having fewer collections and the problems that that will create for parents of small children. One child can use up to 6,000 nappies in a lifetime, and reducing the size of the grey bin or the number of times that it is collected, without putting something else in place, is not going to address the issue: it is going to create problems, and it is going to create problems for the Department. She spoke of the Welsh scheme and how it has reached its 66·6% recycling rate, with one of the councils reaching 73·2%. I am glad that the Minister is going to look at that. Hopefully, it will give him some incentive to introduce a similar scheme in Northern Ireland.”
“The amendment neutralises our proposals and does not go far enough, as we have pointed out time and again in the debate. Although the leader of the Opposition pooh-poohed the debate, I hope that he will support the motion.”
“Thank you, Minister. We take encouragement from the fact that you are going to Wales to look at what it has developed and at the success that it has achieved, but you cannot shirk your responsibility. You need to lead on this. Providing guidance rather than a strategy will lead to the 11 councils taking different approaches, which will include doing nothing, and it will not address the issue. Therefore, you cannot shirk your responsibility on the issue. You must bring forward a strategy. <BR /> <BR />It is disappointing that the Alliance Party decided to table an amendment simply because it could. We want a firm, co-designed strategy that will address what is an identified issue. The issue has been identified and must be addressed. Guidance will not address it.”
“Northern Ireland has an opportunity to become innovative and groundbreaking in this area, but that requires you, as Minister, to take ownership of a bespoke strategy, developed centrally in conjunction with our councils. Are you willing to step forward, take that decision and move forward with a strategy from the centre, from here, rather than its coming from the councils? If we are serious about meeting our targets, I urge you to consider the Welsh model — you have said that you will — and, in conjunction with our councils, introduce a strategy to deal with the issue.”
“The market is expected to keep growing, fuelled by high birth rates in developing countries and ageing populations, which are likely to drive an increasing consumption of other absorbent hygiene products. It is clear that the amount of recyclable material in a single disposable nappy that is lost to landfill or incineration represents a significant drag on progress towards meeting Northern Ireland's recycling target of 70% by 2030 and our goal to promote a truly circular economy. <BR /> <BR />There was only a fleeting reference to nappies and other absorbent hygiene products in the recent DAERA consultation. There was a commitment to provide councils with non-statutory guidance and explore recycling opportunities. That does not go far enough to address the issue, Minister.”
“<BR /> <BR />While the Minister has set a recycling target of 70% by 2030, there is no sign of any movement by him or the Department on either of those two issues other than to issue guidance to councils, some of which already promote a number of reusable nappy incentive schemes. We have already heard about that in the debate. It is worth noting that the Minister has previously expressed a willingness to meet councils to discuss the potential introduction of such a scheme, but Alliance's amendment to the motion is not in keeping with that, raising the question: is the Minister rowing back from the position that Alliance took some time ago? <BR /> <BR />Single-use or disposable nappies are one of the largest contributors to plastic waste, not only across the UK but globally.”
“That is why the Alliance Party's amendment is disappointing: it removes the responsibility to bring forward such a strategy from the Minister and his Department and places it solely on local councils. The councils are there to engage with and deliver a strategy brought forward by the Minister, centrally, so that they are all dealing with the same thing, but not to actually develop the strategy. We heard comments from around the Chamber about there being willingness and support for the introduction of such a strategy amongst a number of councils. The second prong of the motion is the Minister and his Department taking an active role in promoting reusable nappy products as an alternative to disposables in an effort to reduce the amount of that waste that goes to landfill, which is currently almost 40,000 tons a year.”
“Thank you, Principal Deputy Speaker. I thank all those who participated in today's debate. <BR /> <BR />My colleague Michelle McIlveen, who moved the motion, pointed out that it has a two-pronged approach. The first prong is engagement between the Minister and councils on the development of a strategy for the collection and recycling of disposable nappies and other such products. Of course, if the Minister is serious about recycling and reducing landfill, that engagement must be led and driven by him. It cannot simply be left up to councils to act on some new non-statutory guidance with which the Department provides them in order to come up with such a strategy. Such an initiative must be spearheaded by the Minister and centrally driven.”
“Thank you, Minister. Do you agree that the 250th anniversary of the United States is an excellent opportunity for Northern Ireland to showcase our rich historical links? Being parochial, I am thinking of the Ulster American Folk Park in my constituency, which you visited last year. The centenary of the Ferguson system master patent, which revolutionised the world's agriculture sector, will be marked on 12 February. Has any consideration been given to commemorating that historic event and to the possibility of having a Harry Ferguson museum, given that the Ferguson Belfast black prototype tractor, which was built in 1933, is now back in Belfast?”
“<BR /> <BR />Olven Kilpatrick is only one of the 23 people who were murdered in Castlederg, and, today, not one person has been brought to justice for those murders. Today, I salute the memory of Olven Kilpatrick. I thank God that he was a man who had a personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ — he is with him today — but we will never forget the men and women who were brutally murdered by the IRA and the price that their families had to pay.”
“Within five minutes of that brutal act of premeditated murder, the IRA gangsters were in their safe haven across the border in the Irish Republic, while another family in Castlederg was left without a husband and father and the community of Castlederg was once again plunged into shock and mourning at the brutal and callous murder of an innocent businessman. That is what, the First Minister for all has said, there was no alternative to: a young wife, widowed; children growing up without a father figure in the home; and an elderly mother in mourning for her beloved son. How anyone can justify a statement of "no alternative" to such an atrocity is beyond comprehension and must be called out for what it is.”
“As he lay mortally wounded, the two bloodthirsty murderers, not content with the murderous act, planted a bomb in a shoebox, which exploded while police and army were securing the area, injuring two RUC officers and setting the shop alight, resulting in the Fire Brigade being unable to retrieve the body until the blaze was brought under control at 10.00 pm.”
“Last Thursday, 9 January 2025, marked the 35th anniversary of the cold, callous, premeditated, brutal murder of Olven Kilpatrick, a young businessman in Castlederg. Olven was a family man, a businessman and a part-time UDR soldier, and he was highly regarded and respected by all who knew him in his community. <BR /> <BR />Just before 5.30 that evening in 1990, when the shops were closing up for the day, Olven Kilpatrick was serving two ladies in his thriving business, a shoe shop, when two hooded and masked IRA men walked into the shop and shot him at close range.”
“Will there be no implications, following the court case, if the Department continues with work on the A5?”
“<BR /> <BR />Is the House content to bury its head in the sand on such exorbitant costs, or will it face the stark facts and pause the passage of the regulations to allow sufficient time for proper scrutiny and engagement with the relevant bodies? We do not believe that the targets can be met within the time frame that has been set. They will be detrimental to businesses and the farming community and will have huge and crippling financial consequences. Therefore, we ask the House to give serious consideration to what is before it today and to vote against the regulations.”
“<BR /> <BR />Section 23 of the Climate Change Act requires DAERA to consult the just transition commission and the Northern Ireland Climate Commissioner, both of which were required to be established under the Act, on proposed carbon budgets. Yet, the Department has indicated that, once they are established, there will be an engagement with those bodies on relevant issues, including future carbon budgets. Surely that will be too late: the damage of the aspirational targets, including their impact on public spending, will have been done. That engagement should have been taking place prior to the regulations being brought before the House.”
“The headline commitments in the carbon budgets and the 2040 emissions target are highly aspirational and entirely devoid of a concrete assessment of the policies and proposals that would need to be advanced by Departments and of the cost to Departments. Therefore, there is a real risk that you, Minister, are putting the cart before the horse by pressing ahead with the regulations in the absence of agreement on what represents a fair and sustainable transition for businesses, consumers and Departments, especially at a time when we need to transform and reform front-line services for the benefit of all.”
“Indeed, it would be a sign of maturity, at a time when public services are being pressed from pillar to post because of insufficient resources and a lack of reform, for all in the House to consider changing course. <BR /> <BR />We are deeply concerned that the SRs have been rushed and did not afford the Committee the proper time to scrutinise what was being proposed. Given the manner in which the Department approached the tabling of the regulations, there are concerns that the process could be subject to future judicial review. Therefore, we urge the Minister to reflect on that and to consider withdrawing the regulations today.”
“Yes, but the Minister who has put forward the stringent targets and has refused to step back from them is you. We brought the issue to the House previously and asked you to step back from those stringent targets, but you refused to do so. The targets have therefore been put forward by you as Minister. <BR /> <BR />In light of what we have said, Minister, it is time to press the "Pause" button. We in the Democratic Unionist Party believe that there is an urgent need to inject a sense of realism into Northern Ireland's climate ambitions. Minister, there would be no shame in you and parties in the Assembly reflecting honestly on the implications of the targets enshrined in the Climate Change Act.”
“The total net cost to Northern Ireland of the Climate Change Act's target of achieving net zero by 2050 is estimated to be £13·5 billion. Minister and Members, are you prepared to cripple our people with such a financial burden simply to meet such stringent targets in the Climate Change Act?”
“The paper points out that the draft green growth strategy states:”
“<BR /> <BR />A recent Assembly Research and Information Service (RaISe ) paper, from the end of November 2024, states:”
“Minister, you will have heard the concerns raised by many respondents on the issue. Some of the proposed targets and budgets are unrealistic and not sustainable, given the impact that they will have on our citizens and on the economy. What about the impact on Northern Ireland's significant agri-food sector and rural communities; the potential detrimental impact on UK food security, including through the reduction of livestock numbers; the potential for social inequalities; the absence of a budgetary breakdown by sector; and the operational constraints of the planning system, which are a real hindrance to the farming community? I am sure that most if not all Members have placed that issue on the Minister's desk, yet there has been little done on it and little movement.”
“<BR /> <BR />Minister, there must be a fair transition that is inclusive of all communities, households and industries and addresses the looming threat of further costs from changes to emissions trading schemes and the impact of the EU's carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) on trade between GB and Northern Ireland. There is a risk that unfair and unworkable environmental targets that are levied on local farm businesses may lead to conditions, including a reduction in livestock numbers, that usher in a reliance on foreign, cheaper produce that is farmed in conditions and to a standard that we would never accept in the UK. If we are not careful, folks, that is the road that we will go down, should we press on with the stringent targets that are before the House today. <BR /> <BR />Section 1 of the Climate Change Act 2022 states:”
“<BR /> <BR />There is no question that more sustainable policies in such areas as energy, housing and transport can bring benefits for the standards of living enjoyed by people in Northern Ireland and help to tackle deprivation and isolation. Many of our citizens, however, perceive climate action as resulting in higher taxes and increased costs for basic goods and services and a residual threat to jobs and livelihoods, particularly in farming communities. Those of us who are close to farming communities and speak to them hear their concerns about the targets and their implications for their business. It comes at a time when our families face the highest tax burden since the Second World War.”
“Therefore, I find it strange that, no matter what happens today, it is all put down to climate change. <BR /> <BR />I will set out why we are not in a position to support the regulations. The DUP supports the United Kingdom's long-term net zero ambitions and will advocate policy and initiatives that are environmentally responsible and support decarbonisation. We appreciate that there is a role for ambitious and flexible emissions targets in driving forward progress, but we are extremely concerned that recent legislation, including that in Northern Ireland, has been rushed, is poorly drafted and conflicts with the independent scientific advice from the Climate Change Committee.”
“In rising to speak in the debate, I want to make it clear that we will not support the draft regulations. I heard the Member from the Opposition speak about the weekend's storm. He tied it in with climate change. Is it not strange that today, no matter what happens, it is all down to climate change? If we have a hot summer, with no rain or little rain, it is because of climate change; if we have a summer with quite a bit of rain, it is down to climate change; if we have a windstorm, it is down to climate change. I remember from when I was a boy that we had much worse storms than we had at the weekend; we had summer after summer with great weather and little rain; and we had summers when there was quite a bit of rain. It was not down to climate change; it was exactly what was taking place at that time.”
“I do not think that I can thank the First Minister for her response. Does she agree that those actions were wrong and will be perceived as a bid to influence the Chair of the Committee to achieve her desired outcome of closing down the opportunity for Committee members to conduct their scrutiny role? Will she commit to refraining from such actions in the future and be open and transparent in all cases?”
“Thank you for the response. The Member will know that, a few years back, quite a bit of work was done to the roof of the Building, but that work has not really stood up to the test, because, in some places, water is still penetrating. We can see the effects of that in some parts of the Building. Will the Member give me an indication of the cost of the forthcoming work? When is it expected to be completed? Can we be assured that the work that is being done this time will stand up to the test?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement to the House. Will he set out any plans that he has for other areas of the curriculum?”
“I trust that the Minister is listening and that he will take cognisance of the issue.”
“Culling, alongside the long-term aim of moving to a vaccination-only approach, is the only way that progress on reducing the number of TB infections can be made. No other method has worked thus far. <BR /> <BR />Farmers bear the burden of the Department's inaction on the continued spread of TB, with substantial financial losses due to herd restrictions, the loss of prized livestock and disruption to farm operations. It is therefore vital that the Department safeguards and protects the livelihoods of farmers and farming families by making the eradication of TB a priority. I hope that the Minister is listening today when I say this to him: continuing to kick the can down the road will not solve the problem. We need an effective eradication programme. The Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) has asked:”
“it cannot be argued that it is the best value for money. <BR /> <BR />The bovine tuberculosis eradication strategy for Northern Ireland was launched by my colleague, who was the AERA Minister at that time, Edwin Poots, and it consisted of 21 recommendations that would have enabled the eventual eradication of TB. However, it is disappointing to find that, as we stand here, the majority of those recommendations were not implemented and that, given the increasing scale of TB infections, the Department has now stated that that strategy is no longer sustainable. <BR /> <BR />Scientific studies all suggest that the most effective way to reduce the spread of TB is through wildlife intervention. Culling infected badgers is necessary to break the cycle of infection between wildlife and cattle.”
“In fact, the Northern Ireland Audit Office stated:”
“TB has been a long-standing and challenging problem for farmers in Northern Ireland. Following the recent publication by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and the Chief Veterinary Officer of a 90-page review, it is extremely disappointing to find that TB is far from being resolved. It is clear that the Department has little or no intention of taking any meaningful action to tackle the crisis that is happening across Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The scale of the problem is alarming. Northern Ireland continues to face one of the highest rates of TB in Europe, and, in the first half of 2024, there was a 22·5% increase in the number of cases compared with previous years. DAERA's efforts to control the spread of TB to date, at a cost of £55·7 million in 2023-24, have been unsuccessful.”
“The Minister said in his opening remarks that sheep are his favourite animal. Sheep are prone to going astray, so I hope that you do not go astray, sir, and will stay focused on the issue.”
“<BR /> <BR />Robbie Butler spoke about the important role of the sheep industry in the economy, the economic benefits of sheep farming in the uplands and the many sheep farmers who are grappling with financial pressures. He also called on the Minister to outline robust plans for the protection of the industry.”
“She urged the Minister to maintain regular engagement with the task force, which has five key asks of the Minister. Of course, she spoke about the importance of a genetic improvement scheme that would increase the value of the lambs produced and about how sheep farms need to be profitable and attractive to younger people for them to come into the sector. <BR /> <BR />John Blair spoke about the carbon footprint of sheep farming in the uplands being 8% lower than that of the lowlands, and he mentioned the task force report. We encourage the Minister to keep in regular contact and engage with the task force on the importance of the sheep industry.”
“He also said that sheep farming complements our rural farmland but must be adequately supported. That message has come right around the Chamber today. He said that the Minister has a key role to play in all of this, and I think that we will all agree that the Minister has a key role. We hope that the Minister will take it forward positively. <BR /> <BR />My colleague Michelle McIlveen, in proposing the amendment, spoke of the important role that sheep farmers play in the Northern Ireland economy. She talked about the 38% of farms and about the sheep industry's value of £106 million, contributing to over 9,800 businesses. By 2025, sheep farms, she said, would lose 17% of the basic payment scheme, and she said that there was no inclusion of sheep-specific support in DAERA's future agricultural policy.”