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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“It is a good news story about what we can do collectively to achieve a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and benefit from decarbonisation. I am very proud of so many farmers across Northern Ireland whom I have met and who do good work in that regard. They are shining lights and exemplars of delivery on the ground. It is important that I put that on the record.”
“The climate action plan is out for consultation. If people want to read it, it is on the DAERA website. It is very clear that the climate action plan for 2023-27 is not about herd reduction. It is about productivity, and the plan sets that out. <BR /> <BR />The actions that I am taking are that I have managed to secure funding of over £12 million for a just transition fund for agriculture. It is very clear that we need to support our farmers on the road ahead, and I am determined to do that, not just in word but in deed, through that financial support. Climate change is the biggest risk to farming in Northern Ireland, and I am determined to support agriculture and farming on the road ahead, because we owe it to them to do that. <BR /> <BR />The climate action plan is out for consultation.”
“Not taking action is not the solution; taking action is. We could have had a climate action plan in place a long time ago, but we do not have one, because one party decided that it did not want to go to work.”
“I will write back to you on that. There was engagement, and there is engagement now, because there is a cross-Executive commitment to deliver this. <BR /> <BR />It is important that we work through the findings of the judge's judgement from last week. It is 100 pages long. From some people's commentary, it is clear that they have not read it. At the very end, it states:”
“First, when it comes to the A5, I want to say one thing: my thoughts are with the families and friends who have been bereaved as a result of accidents on that road. I have met a number of them, and they had heartbreaking stories. <BR /> <BR />The delivery of the A5 is an Executive commitment. I back it, not just as an MLA but as the Minister responsible for rural affairs, and I am determined to have regional balance. It is important that I say that. The delivery of major infrastructure projects and climate legislation are not incompatible, but a whole-of-Executive approach to decarbonisation is needed. Everyone needs to play their part. <BR /> <BR />I engaged with the former Infrastructure Minister on the project, but it was an Executive decision. I do not want to give you exact dates until I have checked those with my diary secretary.”
“The targets set out in the climate change legislation were agreed unanimously as part of the overall package of legislation at the Bill's Final Stage. Northern Ireland is not an outlier in its decarbonisation goals. A high percentage of countries are aiming for decarbonisation. It is false and wrong to make out that taking climate action is impossible: it is already happening. Businesses are doing it. The success of the UK economy has been down to growth alongside a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. That is something that we are determined to do. I am focused on delivery, not on turning my back on climate action in Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />We cannot change the past, but we can change the future. Together, we must grasp the opportunities of decarbonisation. As Minister, I am determined to drive green growth. A draft green growth strategy was compiled by my predecessor, and I am determined to get it agreed. I sent it to the Executive in December of last year, and I will continue to look for its approval because there are opportunities from decarbonisation in Northern Ireland, primarily in reducing people's energy bills and giving them more security on these issues. Northern Ireland cannot afford to be a laggard on these issues.”
“We sit here in June 2025. The Climate Change Act was passed in March 2022. Shortly after that, the institutions did not sit for two years. Those were two years in which the opportunity to implement the legislation was missed as a result of the collapse of the institutions by the DUP. When I brought to the Executive proposals to set the carbon budget and consult on the climate action plan, there was yet more delay. Climate action requires a whole-of-government commitment to decarbonisation. If the institutions had not been collapsed and everyone had put their shoulders to the wheel, we would have had the carbon budget set years ago; the climate action plan would not just have been not just consulted on but agreed and delivered; a Climate Commissioner would have been in place; and a just transition commission would have been up and running.”
“Mr Speaker, I intended, with your permission, to group questions 2 and 8, but the Member was not here to ask question 2. <BR /> <BR />I met the former Minister for the Economy, Minister Murphy, in June of last year. I met him again in January of this year, and I met the current Minister for the Economy, Minister Archibald, in March, when the climate action plans and opportunities for green growth were discussed. I can confirm that the policies and proposals in the draft climate action plan are sufficient for meeting the emissions reductions required by Northern Ireland's first carbon budget. The projected emissions are expected to meet the first carbon budget by achieving a 33·1% average annual reduction from the 1990 baseline, compared with Northern Ireland's legislated carbon budget of a 33% average annual reduction.”
“I am very conscious of people's concerns on that, and many are rightly at the end of their tether. I will speak to officials this afternoon, including the chief executive of the Environment Agency. Whatever we do has to be within our legal vires, but I am conscious of the concerns and will follow the matter up today.”
“Thank you, Kellie. In the interim report, the panel identified two areas that, it feels, require further work. One is fleshing out the proposal for a new non-departmental public body. In essence, that would be the independent environmental protection agency. The other is reflecting the shared responsibilities for improving environmental governance in Northern Ireland. Once I get the final report, I will consider it and bring a proposal to the Executive. <BR /> <BR />We have talked an awful lot about an independent environmental protection agency. The independent panel has done really good work on fleshing out what exactly that needs to be. The panel will finalise that, and, hopefully, Executive colleagues will be able to agree a way forward.”
“<BR /> <BR />The panel's final report is expected this summer, and I will then carefully consider its recommendations and include what can be taken forward in the short, medium and long term as part of a proposal to Executive colleagues in the autumn. We all must play our part in protecting our precious environment, and I will play my part in seeing the ways in which we can strengthen environmental governance in Northern Ireland.”
“I welcome the timely publication of the 'Independent Review of Environmental Governance in Northern Ireland - Interim Report'. It marks a significant step in the overall review process, with the independent panel now moving towards its final report. The need to strengthen environmental governance has never been more pressing, particularly in the context of the significant environmental challenges that we face, not least those experienced at Lough Neagh. Many others share my desire to see meaningful change and to support those tasked with protecting our environment. There has been positive engagement with the process to date, and there is clearly significant interest in seeing progress. That is why I chose to publish the interim report.”
“A meeting has also been held between my officials and the Northern Ireland Fishery Harbour Authority (NIFHA) to discuss how we can take forward the harbour development programme while reflecting the needs of today and our budgetary challenges. We will also continue to engage with the UK Government on their migration policies and the severe detrimental impact that those have on the fishery industry in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />I am doing all that I can to support fisheries in Northern Ireland. It is an important issue that is raised often with me, and I am seeking to make progress in a number of areas.”
“We have already discussed the fishing and coastal growth fund. I am fighting to get a fair share of that for Northern Ireland. I am also reviewing the potential for a bilateral agreement with the Irish Government for access to their 6- to 12-mile zone rather than have that engagement take place through DEFRA. Officials also recently met Isle of Man fisheries officials on a range of issues, and I await a briefing on the outcome of that meeting. I am also awaiting a submission from officials that it is due soon on the marine environment and fisheries fund, including on how we can support recruitment initiatives and the marketing of fisheries produce.”
“I understand the Member's concerns, and it is important that that funding come to Northern Ireland and not on the basis of a Barnett calculation. The share needs to be much bigger than that. I will write again to the Minister to say that Members have raised the issue with me today in the Chamber. It is important that we get that funding on the ground. If it comes as a Barnett consequential, there is a concern that it will not go directly to fishery communities. We need to make sure that it goes directly to them.”
“As I said, I have already raised the issue of the fund with the relevant Minister. I will continue to argue for Northern Ireland to get its fair share of that funding. I have concerns, because there is no more detail about the fund, but I will continue to argue for funding, because harbours in Northern Ireland, particularly Kilkeel, Ardglass and Portavogie, need that support. The Government have announced the fund but have not given us the detail of it. I continue to raise the matter. It is important that we support our local fishery communities.”
“I have written to Minister Daniel Zeichner in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to emphasise the need for Northern Ireland to secure an equitable share of the fund and to seek an assurance that my officials will be fully and meaningfully involved in its design, delivery and promotion.”
“Anaerobic digestion has a lot of benefits for Northern Ireland. Sustainable utilisation of livestock slurry, which is part of a small business research initiative (SBRI), is now in phase 2. I want to see that scaled up. We work in conjunction with the Department for the Economy on that, and wider collaboration is taking place. Further collaboration needs to take place, and that relates to the nutrients action programme and how we provide people with the tools to take action. I am keen to do that. I need to get an update from officials to see where that liaison is and what the Department for the Economy is up to, but I understand the importance of anaerobic digestion.”
“I have that report, and I will speak to the chief executive of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency this afternoon about it. I get the concern around the issue. People should not have to endure that.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Just before coming into the Chamber for Question Time, I was updated on that situation. Over the weekend, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency's waste management licensing team received a significant number of communications — approximately 25 — regarding odours from the harbour. The odours are referred to as being principally from creosote and Jeyes Fluid, and they come from Warrenpoint harbour. It has happened at the same time as the Wake the Giant Festival. The Northern Ireland Environment Agency has received some reports that suggest that a significant number of telegraph poles were unloaded at the harbour, and they are being stored on the quayside that is closest to the town.”
“Air pollution and climate change share some similar sources of pollutants, specifically in relation to the combustion of fossil fuels, which leads to the emission of carbon dioxide and many air pollutants that adversely impact on human health. Climate action commitments for Northern Ireland, such as replacing fossil fuel-derived electricity with decarbonised electricity, can lead to reductions in emissions of harmful pollutants. That is good for human health. Another example of the interventions that we can make is investment in active travel, which can encourage a shift away from the use of cars to walking, cycling and using public transport. That will provide both decarbonisation and improvements in air quality, as well as health benefits that extend beyond improving air quality.”
“It is true. Your party walked out and did not allow us to progress the climate change legislation. Had we been able to do that, the carbon budgets would have been set a long time ago, a climate action plan would have been consulted upon and be in place, and a Climate Commissioner and just transition commission would also be in place. We are working collectively on that. We have obligations to the people of Northern Ireland to take action on climate change. I am engaging with my ministerial colleague the Infrastructure Minister about the specific ruling on the A5. It is important that we take heed of it. It is 100 pages, and there is a lot of detail that we need to consider.”
“Climate change is a real issue. It affects Northern Ireland and the rest of the world as well. It is having a real impact now. The Assembly cared about that, because it unanimously endorsed the legislation at its Final Reading in 2022. It is a legislative obligation that was set out by the Assembly. I understand the concerns around it that have been expressed to me about the need to take action to address climate change. Those legal obligations are set out in law. If we take a step back and try to understand why we are in this situation, we see that, after the legislation was passed in March 2022, the Member's party walked out of this place. It downed tools, and these institutions did not sit for two years.”
“NIEA does not routinely release detailed information about any potential or ongoing investigations of such matters, but I can confirm that an active investigation is ongoing in relation to that issue.”
“The management of annual bonfires is recognised as being a challenging and complex issue that requires a range of agreed multi-agency preventative and, where appropriate, enforcement activity. The deposit and burning of controlled waste at a bonfire site has the potential to be a breach of the law. In line with DAERA enforcement policy, the NIEA assesses each incident on its merits before deciding on the most appropriate action. It is the legal responsibility of the landowner to secure their land to prevent illegal depositing of waste. Where sufficient evidence is available, NIEA may conduct criminal investigations in pursuit of offenders who are responsible for the depositing of illegal waste at bonfire sites.”
“I am committed to publishing a robust strategy that will deliver real benefits to human health and the environment across Northern Ireland.”
“My Department has been engaging and continues to engage with the other Departments that have responsibility for minimising pollutant emissions to air in order to agree the actions that each Department can include in the draft clean air strategy. Good progress has been made on the development of that strategy. I have met my officials to set out my policy direction, and there is ongoing liaison between my Department and the Department for the Economy, the Department for Infrastructure, the Department of Health and the Department for Communities. A draft of the clean air strategy was recently shared with those Departments, and my officials are reviewing the feedback on that and revising the draft to reflect their views. I anticipate the launch of a public consultation on the draft strategy later this year.”
“The future agricultural policy decisions that were announced by my predecessor in March 2022 did not include proposals for sheep support but indicated that work would be undertaken to explore options for support that would improve the overall performance and resilience of the sheep sector. On 29 January 2025, I announced the timeline for the roll-out of the sustainable agriculture programme over the next two years. One item in the programme that we want to explore is sheep support. As I outlined in response to the Member who tabled the question, we want to deliver the farm sustainability payment. Once that is in place, resources will be released to co-design future work on sheep support.”
“I met the Infrastructure Minister last week, I have written to her, and there will be further engagement at official and ministerial level between our Departments on the land that was vested as a result of the potential construction of the A5. Responsibilities lie with DFI and, when it comes to requests relating to farm payments, with me; we will continue to engage on that. <BR /> <BR />I am conscious that climate change is a real issue for Northern Ireland. It is the biggest threat to farming in Northern Ireland. I am happy to discuss the issues, but we have to be clear that, back in 2022, the Assembly passed legislation — it was agreed unanimously at Final Stage —and we have legal duties to implement that.”
“My officials have presented a proposed forward work plan for new areas of policy development work in my Department’s sustainable agriculture programme (SAP) to the agricultural policy stakeholder group to seek its views on prioritisation. The work plan includes support for the sheep sector. It is my intention that sheep-focused co-design will commence towards the end of this year, once the policy development work on the farm sustainability payment and farm sustainability standards is complete and legislation is in place.”
“I beg to introduce the Dilapidation Bill [NIA 21/22-27], which is a Bill to confer functions on district councils in connection with the dilapidation of buildings and other land.”
“To summarise, amending the Environmental Protection (Disposal of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and other Dangerous Substances) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 will require the removal of all PCB-contaminated equipment by the end of 2025. The amendment will result in Northern Ireland no longer being divergent from either Great Britain or the EU, both of which have already implemented such amendments. In order for Northern Ireland, along with the rest of the UK and the EU, to continue its efforts to reduce persistent organic pollutants, which, in this instance, are PCBs, we need to pass the amendment. I commend the order to the House.”
“<BR /> <BR />My officials have been engaging with other regulators in the UK and Ireland and have had discussions with NIE Networks, which, as I said, is the largest holder of potentially PCB-contaminated equipment in Northern Ireland. Officials issued an Executive paper on 5 March regarding the amendments. They received replies from the Justice Minister, Health Minister and Economy Minister, none of whom had any issues with the amendments and were supportive of them. The amendments were approved by the Executive at a meeting on 30 April and by the AERA Committee on 8 May.”
“<BR /> <BR />My officials will be able to check for PCB-contaminated equipment during inspections for other regulatory regimes. The charges will remain at an annual charge of £155 for holders of fewer than 20 pieces of equipment and £250 for holders of more than 20 pieces of equipment. The registration system will facilitate Northern Ireland Environment Agency engagement with registered holders and enable holders to notify the agency when the PCB-contaminated equipment has been disposed of and can be removed from the register. Officials in the Northern Ireland Environment Agency chemicals compliance team work collaboratively with the waste teams in the agency's regulation unit and will ensure that the destruction of the material is undertaken by appropriate means, in this case by high-temperature incineration.”
“To make that easier for customers, digital services in my Department have developed an online registration system that will go live shortly after the amendments come into force. The amendments will also provide the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, which is responsible for regulating PCBs, with the legislative powers to take action where the registration duty is not complied with. Any action undertaken will be in accordance with DAERA's enforcement and prosecution policy, with enforcement tools ranging from warning letters up to formal prosecution through the courts. The costs of registration have not increased from those laid out in the 2000 legislation, due to the efficiency savings of having an online registration system.”
“Northern Ireland continues to follow EU legislation on persistent organic pollutants, as required by annex 2 of the Windsor framework. Both the EU and UK are party to the Stockholm convention. Therefore, the amendments will bring Northern Ireland into line with Great Britain and the EU. By not laying the regulations, we will be in breach of the Windsor framework and will remain divergent from GB and the EU, as well as being in breach of the Stockholm convention. That incurs the risk of EU infraction action against the UK, the costs of which will have to be borne by the Northern Ireland Executive. <BR /> <BR />Holders of PCB-contaminated equipment must register their pieces of equipment with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA).”
“The cost incurred by NIE Networks is due to the decommissioning of equipment before the end of its useful life, where there is a cost that is considered acceptable to achieve the safe destruction of the equipment. <BR /> <BR />A consultation exercise carried out by my Department ran from 23 May to 22 July 2022. My Department engaged with approximately 60 targeted NI stakeholders, including small and medium-sized companies and public bodies, via a short survey that ran for nine weeks. A total of seven responses was received from businesses and public-sector organisations. None of the responses expressed any misgivings about the proposed legislation. <BR /> <BR />The amendments were made in England and Wales in July 2020 and in Scotland in February 2021. They came into force in the Republic of Ireland in 2020.”
“PCBs remain common contaminants of animal and human food chains, generally at low concentrations, and thus diet remains one of the main sources of exposure. <BR /> <BR />A regulatory impact assessment was carried out by my officials in order to assess the impact on NIE Networks, which was identified as the biggest holder of stock containing PCBs in Northern Ireland. A number of other holders were not considered to be statistically significant and were therefore excluded from the assessment. PCB-contaminated equipment has to be replaced at the end of its useful life. The amendments bring forward the replacement date of some of the NIE Networks equipment that would have to be replaced eventually. The assessment indicated that the central cost of £385,625 would be incurred by NIE Networks to meet the requirements of the legislation.”
“Parties to the Stockholm convention are committed to removing PCBs from production and use. The use of PCBs has been regulated in the UK since the early 1980s, but some PCBs are still in use, predominantly in high-voltage transformer equipment in energy infrastructure. In Northern Ireland, the main stock of equipment that still contains PCBs is held by Northern Ireland Electricity Networks. That equipment was brought into use before 1987. Oils containing PCBs can leak from transformer equipment and enter the environment, where they can cause serious health effects in humans and animals. PCBs can have adverse effects on the immune system, liver, skin, reproductive system, gastrointestinal tract and thyroid glands.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am grateful for the opportunity to move the motion today. <BR /> <BR />The amendments to the Environmental Protection (Disposal of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and other Dangerous Substances) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2000 will prohibit the use of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). They will require all equipment containing PCBs above the new lower threshold concentration of 0·005% PCBs by weight and a volume of 0·05 cubic decimetres to be removed from use by the end of 2025 and environmentally sound waste management to be applied thereafter. That is a requirement of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, to which the EU and the UK are both signatories and where the amendments come from. <BR /> <BR />PCBs fall into the category of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).”
“Collective action on both is absolutely essential.”
“I am going to continue. <BR /> <BR />The responsible management of nutrients is critical for the sustainability of our agriculture sector and the protection of our natural environment. We face serious water quality challenges at Lough Neagh and other waterways, and we need to turn the curve. That is why I am committed to continuing with the consultation on the revised NAP measures for 2026-29. <BR /> <BR />As I have said, time and time again, until I am blue in the face, they are proposals. No final decisions have been taken. If we cannot even consult on proposals, I fear for the environment in Northern Ireland. I recognise the challenges, but together we can and must overcome them. As Minister, I am firmly committed to safeguarding our environment and to securing the long-term sustainability of our agriculture sector.”
“The position of our official Opposition is also disheartening. On the one hand, the SDLP has urged me to save Lough Neagh decisively. On the other hand, on Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, the SDLP has called for the return of Going for Growth, with all its clear environmental consequences. <BR /> <BR />In conclusion, the NAP consultation is not only necessary but urgent.”
“As Minister, the easiest thing that I could have done would have been to make tokenistic gestures and talk around the problem, but I owe it to everyone to deliver on the Lough Neagh action plan, which was agreed by all Executive parties in July of last year. The political opportunism from those other parties, which signed up to the plan yet now seek to distance themselves from it and to work to drive a wedge between us, is profoundly disappointing. There is nothing unusual or unscheduled about the NAP consultation that is under way. It is action 22 of the Lough Neagh action plan, which states:”
“When it comes to Lough Neagh and water quality in Northern Ireland, it seems that some parties are happier with empty promises and hollow words in manifestos. You cannot govern by sound bites and photo opportunities. People deserve honesty about the issues that we face. They deserve open, genuine public consultations and a focus on actions.”
“<BR /> <BR />I urge every Member who is considering voting to support the motion to fully consider the consequences of their actions. Those who back the motion under the DUP banner of "Scrap the NAP" are willingly and consciously consigning Lough Neagh to becoming a dead lake. I do not say this lightly, but it is true: we have an environmental catastrophe on our doorstep. The scenes of blue-green algae are being repeated year after year. The challenges being experienced by the Lough Neagh Fishermen's Co-operative Society are now, sadly, well known.”
“<BR /> <BR />Some of us in the House may be aware of the reported fraud in slurry movements that occurred in the Republic of Ireland and recent moves to address the issue by requiring movements to be logged every four days, not by January of the following year. As Minister, I am seriously concerned that such fraudulent behaviour around slurry movements is also likely to have occurred in Northern Ireland, where reported exports do not, in fact, occur. I am limited in what more I can say, as active investigations are under way, but be assured that among the proposals in the NAP consultation is the introduction of an enhanced online system to require the prompt reporting of exports and imports to crack down on that entirely immoral behaviour.”
“It is vital that, in making improvements to address our water quality, we develop solutions that, as well as meeting our legislative requirements are evidence-based, workable at farm level and have realistic time frames for delivery. <BR /> <BR />I turn to the issue of compliance with the current NAP regulations. As Minister, I know that the majority of farmers are good custodians of our countryside who play by the rules and do what is right when it comes to water quality. That is what I see regularly when I am out and about. The small minority who break the rules and bring the whole sector into disrepute do not reflect all the others who are farming with nature.”
“We need to build on that and reduce surplus nutrients through an effective NAP. There is much more that needs to be done. Going forward, there will be focused knowledge transfer, education and support to help ensure the effective implementation of the NAP. I acknowledge that some of the proposed measures in the NAP consultation will, of course, require investment. Officials in my Department will consider how we can meet that funding need in the time ahead. Taking today's contributions into account, I look forward to a bumper budget in the years ahead. <BR /> <BR />I recognise that time frames for the implementation of measures are important. Therefore, any decisions around time frames will be informed by the feedback from the consultation and the considerations provided by the small stakeholder group.”