Andrew Muir
North Down · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. As Minister, I am grateful to the Chair of the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee and to Members from all sides of the Chamber for their consideration of the Bill and their contributions to the debate, which have been valuable and useful.”
“I will write to you with regard to your query. <BR /> <BR />The other issue, as I said, is reporting pollution incidents so that they can be effectively investigated. There is a duty on everyone to do that promptly.”
“Aquaculture provides real economic opportunities, and the Bill will help ensure that those opportunities are realised responsibly without compromising the environment. Importantly, the Bill includes transitional provisions so that existing licences can continue seamlessly as aquaculture licences, with their conditions unchanged.”
“That is not about being punitive for its own sake; it is about ensuring that the legal framework reflects the true value of our natural resources and the importance of protecting them for future generations.”
“<BR /> <BR />On strengthening the regulation of inland waters, the Bill modernises long-standing powers under the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966, ensuring that they are fit for today's environmental and industry challenges. That matters because fisheries management today goes far beyond simply catching fish.”
“<BR /> <BR />A full regulatory impact assessment of the financial impact has been completed. It concluded that the Bill does not introduce significant new financial burdens and that any costs are outweighed by the long-term benefits.”
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“We also need to invest in environmental improvements, in Lough Neagh, in climate change delivery and in our food strategy framework.”
“Thank you for your question, Michelle. We have to make tough decisions to ensure that we balance our departmental budgets. As Minister, I think that it is important that we do that. On the opportunities that lie ahead, we will have a three-year resource budget and a four-year capital budget. I have been engaging with the Finance Minister about DAERA's bids. <BR /> <BR />Out of the resource budget, first and foremost, it is about meeting our statutory obligations, which are TB compensation, pay awards for staff and tackling episodic diseases such as avian influenza and bluetongue. It is important that we meet those obligations. Alongside doing that, we want to continue to invest in farming and agriculture in Northern Ireland. That is why it is important that that funding remain ring-fenced.”
“<BR /> <BR />In conclusion, if the situation at Mobuoy, at Lough Neagh and at other precious landscapes in Northern Ireland is not a clear example of why I need support from my Executive colleagues to set up an independent environmental protection agency, I do not know what is.”
“I will need to engage with my officials to determine the outcome of the consultation, which recently closed. I will do that, and I will then write to you setting out some envisaged timescales. <BR /> <BR />We have to make sure that we are doing remediation correctly, because the site is very complex. We will be guided by experts. I thank Derry City and Strabane District Council for appointing the consultants that it did. They fed back to us, which allowed us to have expert feedback on the way forward. That has been very useful. We will come back to you setting out the way forward, however. I know that the site is a concern.”
“You have my assurance that I will be back up in Derry talking to you all about what we are considering as the way forward. A key issue will be finance, because remediation costs are significant. That is why we have to engage with the Minister of Finance.”
“I thank officials who organised that engagement and consultation with local people. I also thank the Member and other public representatives — other MLAs, the local MP, the mayor and council's chief executive — for engaging directly with me on the issue. We will consider the feedback that was received. I have given an undertaking to representatives from the area that I will go back up to Derry and speak to them all about the proposed way forward once we have analysed and considered that feedback. <BR /> <BR />I also need to give the Committee its place, but you are among the people who represent the area that is affected by Mobuoy, so it is important that I engage with you all directly. I also want to engage with you a bit more on the public inquiry and on the way forward.”
“I am happy to have a look at that, and I will respond to the Member in writing.”
“It is important that everyone get a fair crack of the whip and that that be done through having a proper process in place. I am happy to look at that issue, but it is important that, when we are evaluating applications, we do so in a fair manner.”
“Thank you, Eóin. The journey to net zero is the defining challenge of our generation. It is important to listen to the views of young people. The Department has reached out to young people in our local schools to ask them for their views. The feedback from children and young people has been excellent, with participants offering highly insightful and detailed contributions. As a local MLA, I have met a lot of eco-committees in schools, and I find their insights into the issue and their understanding of it to be really impressive. It is important that we listen to young people. That is what we are doing as a Department, and I am proud of that.”
“There are many challenges in relation to climate change — we know them, and we see them play out in Northern Ireland by way of more severe storms and the situation with Lough Neagh — but there are also opportunities. I am meeting many businesses that are investing in decarbonisation, and I want to make sure that we can create those good green jobs in Northern Ireland.”
“As an Assembly and Executive, we committed to delivering a climate action plan in the climate change legislation and in the Programme for Government. Developing a climate action plan has been a significant amount of work, and I thank officials for that. The policies and proposals laid out in the draft plan are expected to be sufficient for Northern Ireland to meet its first carbon budget. The consultation closed recently. There has been a significant number of responses and engagement at the events, and I thank people for that. It is important that we take time to consider the responses. We will bring a paper to the Executive for approval as soon as possible.”
“I hope to get it over the line this week, but there is one thing, Phillip: Santa only comes to good boys and girls.”
“Thank you, Mr Brett. I take my responsibilities as Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs very seriously. We have an environmental responsibility to move more people out of the private car and on to buses or trains. That is a good way to go. We also have an opportunity to encourage active travel — something that I am keen on. A challenge in Belfast city is that people are struggling to get home later at night, and the associated issues relate not just to the environmental implications and increased car usage but people's safety. I am engaging with the Minister for Infrastructure and the Minister for the Economy on an initiative for late-night transport that will provide enhanced Metro and Ulsterbus services on a number of key routes so that people can get home.”
“If a person sets the level and intensity of the signal that is given to the pet too high, they could be causing unnecessary suffering to the animal. That is an offence under the 2011 Act. Nevertheless, I am aware of the merits of banning the devices. I want to see them banned — I have set that out in the animal welfare pathway — and I am keen to explore how we can do that. My Department will explore the bans in other jurisdictions, such as Wales, where they have been banned since 2010, and engage with stakeholders on how we can effectively implement a ban.”
“Thank you, Nuala. I thank the all-party group on animal welfare, which is ably chaired by John, for its engagement on these issues. We want to do these things together and collaboratively with stakeholders. The Department's code of practice for the welfare of dogs recommends to the public that only positive reward-based training should be used and that potentially painful or frightening training methods, such as electric shock collars, should be avoided. <BR /> <BR />I recognise that the use of shock or e-collars is not explicitly banned in Northern Ireland, but an animal fitted with a collar remains protected by the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011. That means that a person can use an e-collar on an animal if it does not cause the animal any unnecessary suffering.”
“<BR /> <BR />Finally, my officials have commenced initial policy development work on the remaining reforms in the pathway, which has been examining the case for the mandatory micro-chipping of cats, regulating rescue and rehoming organisations, and exploring potential changes to the operation of the current animal boarding regulations. While that work is in an early phase, I still hope to be in a position to initiate public consultation on all those issues around the end of this year. Those actions demonstrate my ongoing commitment to strengthen the protections for companion animals across Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />Over 480 responses to my consultation document were received, containing proposals to regulate the supply and sale of pups and kittens, which also outlined my aspiration to ban third-party sellers. My officials continue to analyse the submissions received, and I hope to be able to publish a formal consultation response soon, which we will use to set out the final way forward. An expert adviser group has also been established to review the operation of current dog-breeding regulations here and examine the provision of canine fertility services. Work is well under way, and we understand that the group has been gathering evidence and has met a wide range of stakeholders.”
“In May, I published my animal welfare pathway. It represents the most ambitious package of reforms for this area in over a decade, the majority of which will be taken forward through secondary legislation, which is a quick and effective way to improve protection for companion animals in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The animal welfare pathway includes several key initiatives, which have the potential to transform companion animal welfare. Those include a review of dog breeding and canine fertility services, the regulation of the sale and supply of pups and kittens, and a consideration of issues associated with a ban on aversive training devices.”
“We have a number of schemes through the tackling rural poverty and social isolation (TRPSI) framework, which is a rural micro-capital support scheme to support small businesses in rural areas. I can send the Member more details on that. It has been very popular.”
“We have a role to play, not just as the Department with the lead responsibility for rural affairs but in working with the Department for the Economy. If there are specific issues that the Member wants me to progress, I am happy to do that. Innovation is a key part of our Department, and we have a division dedicated to it. We want to support people in the time ahead, and one of the ways that we will do that, particularly in relation to farming, is the sustainable farming investment scheme, which we will launch in the next financial year.”
“The impacts have been numerous, particularly in relation to the mental health of farmers and the concerns and anxieties that they have and on the sustainability of farming in Northern Ireland, with the potential land issues and how it could be broken up. I will continue to make representations to the UK Government because it is the wrong way to go, and it is important that people listen to the implications for Northern Ireland.”
“I have been consistent in my opposition to the family farm tax because of the disproportionate and detrimental impact that it would have on farmers in Northern Ireland. As a result, I have made representations to the UK Government on multiple occasions. I will, again, make representations to the UK Government this week because it is important that they listen to farmers on the impact that it is going to have. A useful report came from the Centre for the Analysis of Taxation (CenTax), an analysis and tax advisory centre. It has a lot of merit, and I wish that the UK Government would take that up.”
“The research vessel Jocelyn Bell Burnell will give AFBI a step change in how it observes and protects the marine environment. It will be able to gather high-quality data and samples across the marine environment whilst reducing disturbance to marine life and lowering emissions. It will strengthen AFBI and DAERA's ability to understand marine ecosystems, detect climate signals and help the marine industries to adapt. It will also help us join up land and sea, recognising that what happens on land also affects the ocean, and that a healthy ocean, in turn, supports our coasts, climate and economy. With a 30-year design life, the ship equips the next generation of marine scientists and secures the long-term evidence base needed to make sound decisions.”
“Two pieces of legislation are being progressed: the Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill, which will help to deal with misconnections, and the fisheries and water environment Bill.”
“Event and duration monitors have been installed at those sites. Northern Ireland Water has advised that misconnections have been investigated at 164 properties in total. Seven misconnections have been confirmed, and a further 34 sites have been classified as highly likely. All those have now been referred to the Northern Ireland Water misconnections and blockages team. Misconnections to a DFI-culverted stream were also detected and have been reported to DFI Rivers. Other observations from the data are that ruminant influence is strongest at the top end of the catchments and that the human signal increases as the eastern and western tributaries move through the town, as would be expected. <BR /> <BR />We need to raise awareness of the implications of misconnections.”
“Northern Ireland Water initiated work with the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) in May 2024. Samples were collected from over 20 stations covering the marine environment and the catchment. There were approximately 15 sampling points along the Cotton river. Northern Ireland Water agents also found a number of unidentified pipes discharged into the Cotton river by walking its length. That has revealed a large number of misconnections in drains that should contain only surface waters. That typically happens when householders retrofit a downstairs toilet to an existing property and connect to the surface water drainage system rather than the sewer. <BR /> <BR />Initial observations are that Northern Ireland Water assets along the Cotton river are operating as intended and are overflowing only in extreme conditions.”
“We have progressed or are progressing three Bills. The Agriculture Bill is now in law as the Agriculture Act, and the Dilapidation Bill is progressing. The fisheries and water environment Bill will strengthen regulation and enforcement around water pollution. It is out for consultation, so, if you have any views, please do feed back. It will allow us to issue fixed penalty notices and to increase the maximum fine from £20,000 to £50,000. It is an important piece of legislation. <BR /> <BR />I commissioned a panel to look at the issue of an independent environmental protection agency, and it will report back very shortly on that. When the opportunity came up to legislate for that through an amendment that was tabled to the climate change legislation, your party did not even turn up. Decisions are made by people who turn up, Matthew.”
“As a Minister, and also as a representative for North Down, I am very worried about the state of Belfast lough and where we are heading. That is why I am losing patience over the need to take difficult decisions on investment and waste water infrastructure. We cannot dodge tough decisions in this place. I am prepared to take them, and I am taking them, but they need to be taken across the Executive. The situation that is unfolding in Belfast lough is a real concern. I will take whatever actions I can on regulation and enforcement to make it clear that it is not acceptable, but I find it strange that other people do not show that level of concern. We are pumping sewage into Belfast lough and other waterways, and we are seeing the consequences of that with the pollution that is occurring.”
“I am progressing plans to identify inner Belfast lough as a shellfish water protected area — that is a sensitive area that I referred to earlier — under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007, subject to Executive approval. Additional waste water treatment will be required as a result of the identification. I am aware of the need to progress that important area as a matter of urgency. Above all, addressing the issue depends on proper investment. I will continue to support the need for investment in waste water infrastructure in Northern Ireland and take the tough decisions that we need to take to ensure that we have sustained long-term investment.”
“I recognise the critical importance of safeguarding water quality in Belfast lough and affirm my strong commitment to implementing comprehensive measures to improve water quality in Northern Ireland's water bodies. My Department's corporate plan 2025-27 contains a specific pledge to deliver an improvement in water quality. Significant pressure in Belfast lough's catchment is from waste water. Although waste water infrastructure falls within the Department for Infrastructure, my Department is engaging with it and Northern Ireland Water to enhance the regulation, monitoring and treatment of waste water.”
“Yes. We need to show people in Northern Ireland that this can be a place for good. Far too often, and even from the start of today's business, there has been negativity. We can scrutinise and examine, but we also need to show people a bit of hope. This legislation will allow councils to have the powers to intervene, and often in a situation where that dilapidation is just starting. It will allow fixed penalty notices to be issued that will incentivise the people who own those buildings to address their condition. I visited Ballycastle and could see places where it would help. You want people to be able to invest in areas and have confidence that, where dilapidation is starting to occur, councils have the powers to intervene.”
“Thank you, Sian. Yes: there is far too much negativity in the Chamber. We need a bit of positivity.”
“We will take into account the feedback that has been received, particularly by the Committee as a result of its call for evidence. I have been looking at some that has come back. Councils have it coming onto their agendas, so I look at their reports. I have also looked at the RaISe report that the Committee commissioned. We will take all that into account and try to find a way forward that assures councils that the draft legislation is going to enable them, because revitalising our villages, towns and city centres and dealing with dereliction is good not just for the residents and businesses of those areas but for the council's rates base. If an area is dilapidated, the rates base is not what it should be. It is a good opportunity for everyone.”
“Thank you, Declan. My officials have liaised with councils throughout the policy consultation process. Since the restoration of the Assembly, several councils have contacted my Department asking for updates on the Bill. My officials have also contacted the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE) on the Bill's progress. SOLACE has confirmed that local government remains supportive of the Dilapidation Bill's introduction to the Assembly. Draft statutory guidance has now been shared with SOLACE and the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA) for comment. The permanent secretary has reached out to SOLACE and offered a meeting to discuss any concerns that it has. We need to work with people on this, and that is what we are committed to doing.”
“It has been a long time coming, and, hopefully, we will be able to get it scrutinised and on to the statute book.”
“Thank you, Justin, for your question. I take a more positive approach to life when it comes to this. The legislation will give councils the power to act, and it will be up to them to decide. There are many examples of where the power will allow councils to take action and say to the owner of the building, "You fix it, or we will fix it, and we will send you the bill". It is good legislation. It is going through a scrutiny process, which I welcome, because it will allow us to tease out some of the issues that we are getting feedback on and to understand whether we will want to table amendments at Consideration Stage or Further Consideration Stage. <BR /> <BR />I want to work with people to make sure that this makes a difference.”
“The Bill will also give councils the power to put a charge on the land where costs cannot be recovered immediately, ensuring full cost recovery.”
“Whilst the Bill does not specifically contain such guarantees, the provision of robust and effective measures to ensure that the appropriate person or organisation pays for the necessary remedial actions is key to minimising cost to the public purse. Councils will not be expected to take remedial action in every case. The Bill seeks to ensure that those with an interest in a property take on the liabilities associated with it. <BR /> <BR />Councils will need to use a common-sense approach on a case-by-case basis in deciding whether to begin enforcement proceedings if the likelihood of recovering costs is minimal. It is considered reasonable to assume that a council would adopt an approach that does not put its finances at risk and that ensures that it maximises its success in the interests of its ratepayers.”
“We will continue to work through that. The announcement was significant and something that I was keen to achieve. We now have to work together, North and South and with stakeholders, on where that will be. It is likely to be in a border area because it is a Shared Island initiative. It is a good example of where we can work North/South to deal with something that is a challenge in both jurisdictions.”
“I have been consistent, unlike many others in the Chamber, in respecting science and evidence. We will follow a process; we will do this right. We will consult on the wildlife interventions, and we will take decisions on the way forward. We have to learn lessons from how we did it previously, and we have to respect the science and evidence, not, as some people have done, cherry-pick.”
“<BR /> <BR />Any decision that I make on wildlife intervention will include preferred legislative means and be based on science and evidence. We need wildlife intervention, but it is important that we do it right.”
“There is no primary or secondary legislation in operation that explicitly provides for the culling of badgers in Northern Ireland. Following the judicial review decision, there is no departmental policy in place on wildlife intervention. I assure you that I will proceed with a consultation on potential wildlife intervention measures as soon as I can. I advise Members that the judicial review was split into two parts, the second of which was on the legislative basis for wildlife intervention. Officials are therefore exploring all potential avenues that may form part of the legislative basis for any wildlife intervention in order to ensure that our position will be robust in any future legal challenge.”
“Both Departments will engage in developing the overall approach for the cooperation project, which is to focus on implementation of measures on a coordinated regional basis to support reduction of bovine TB incidence and transmission. <BR /> <BR />I am glad that we got that over the line: we will continue to work on roll-out, and I am confident that it will make a tangible difference in what is a key issue for farming communities, North and South.”
“I have spoken to Minister Martin Heydon on the issue, as I did to his predecessor, Charlie McConalogue. It is a key topic in the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) work plan, and I look forward to having continued engagement. <BR /> <BR />I note with interest the publication of the robust new TB action plan from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) and its proposed additional measures. On Friday, I was pleased to announce, alongside Minister Heydon, a new cross-border project as part of the Shared Island initiative to tackle the growing impact of bTB on farms in a pilot area. That new cross-border initiative is aimed at taking a regionalised approach to tackling bovine TB.”
“We are under obligation to work towards eradication, and I am keen to do that, but it will take time. Fundamentally, as I said, it is based on the three pillars of people, cattle and wildlife, and that is what we are investing in. It is important that we take forward those actions. My Department bid for some of the transformation funding that is available in Northern Ireland. We were not successful in the first round, but we have submitted a second bid. It is important that we support that work so that we can drive down rates of infection, not just because of the impact that bTB has on farm families but because of the impact that it has on my Department's budget. That is why we want to turn the situation around.”
“I fully understand the challenges that bTB presents for farm families in Northern Ireland. It creates mental anguish, but there is a cost associated with it as well. Although the Department is upholding the 100% rate of compensation, I understand that that does not reflect the whole associated cost loss. I will continue to engage with relevant representatives. I thank people for taking part in the stakeholder forum, as it is important for finding a way forward. The issue is not confined to Northern Ireland. Rates of infection pose a challenge in England, Wales and the South. Fundamentally, the only way through this is to work together, and that is what I am committed to doing.”
“Initial priorities include work on wildlife intervention options. I have therefore asked officials to prepare a new public consultation on options. <BR /> <BR />Other priority work streams include work to ensure that TB testing is carried out to the required standard, work to progress a potential regionalisation pilot, work to provide on-farm biosecurity advice and work to expand the use of the supplementary interferon-gamma (IFN-g) blood test. I am committed to progressing the new measures in order to tackle the disease as quickly as possible. It is clear that only by working together can we tackle all the factors that contribute to the spread and endurance of that costly disease.”
“Since becoming Minister, I have been clear that we must do more to reverse the increase in bovine TB in Northern Ireland. In January, in response to a recommendation from the Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO), I established a TB partnership steering group — a new body that is made up of farming, industry, veterinary and environmental stakeholders — to work with my Department to develop the actions that are needed to get rates of the disease to fall. I was therefore very pleased to endorse the group's agreed 'Bovine Tuberculosis in Northern Ireland — Blueprint for Eradication', which was published in April. The blueprint document sets out the necessary priorities under three key themes: people, cattle and wildlife. My Department has a new TB eradication transformation programme in place to deliver the actions in the blueprint.”
“Councils often manage areas where people bathe. That is why we have a partnership arrangement with them for water quality, testing and all the rest of it. It is therefore important that people engage with their council. Some areas, such as Crawfordsburn Country Park, sit under the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), and we have management responsibilities for such areas. Often, however, they are, as I said, councils' responsibility, which is why we want to work in partnership with them.”
“If Members want to improve water quality, we have to face up to the issues and look at how we fund our waste water infrastructure in the future. The current situation is not sustainable.”