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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“The remediation options appraisal process was undertaken in line with the LCRM guidance and the Sustainable Remediation Forum UK (SuRF-UK) publication 'A Framework for Assessing the Sustainability of Soil and Groundwater Remediation'. That guidance was produced with the aim of encouraging more sustainable management of remediation practices in the UK. It outlines the principles of sustainable development and the criteria that should be used in the selection of sustainable remediation strategies. <BR /> <BR />At each of the stages, the work was presented to stakeholders and published on the DAERA website. That work has now culminated in the production of a draft remediation strategy for the site.”
“LCRM guidance is the UK Government guidance on how to assess and manage the risks from land contamination, and, as well as in England and Wales, it applies here in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />A detailed quantitative risk assessment (DQRA) was carried out in line with the LCRM process, drawing on extensive site investigations to establish the volume and nature of the waste and utilising over seven years of monitoring data. That provided a robust scientific basis for the specialist contaminated land consultancy team to work through a remediation options appraisal for a range of potential remediation options to develop the draft remediation strategy.”
“NI Water’s Carmoney water treatment works takes its supply from river water abstracted less than two kilometres downstream of the Mobuoy site, and safeguarding the drinking water supply and the environment is unequivocally a priority for me. <BR /> <BR />The draft remediation strategy is a detailed, technical and complex document that has been developed by a specialist contaminated land consultancy team in accordance with the industry standard process known as the "land contamination risk management" (LCRM) guidance.”
“My Department recognises that it has a duty under the Water (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 to promote the cleanliness of water in waterways and underground strata and will continue to take action to safeguard water quality and the environment at Mobuoy. There is no room for complacency, and I take the discharge of that duty very seriously. To that end, my officials have produced a draft technical remediation strategy for the Mobuoy site. The draft remediation strategy has been developed to mitigate the long-term risk that the contaminated site poses to water quality in the River Faughan and to address its contamination of the Faughan groundwater body.”
“With permission, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, I wish to make a statement to set out my plans for the launch of the public consultation on the draft remediation strategy for the Mobuoy site. <BR /> <BR />At the outset, I declare in the register that my stepfather is quality manager for phase 1 of the A6 project. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the conclusion of the Mobuoy case in court last week. I share the public’s concern and recognise the concern and anger caused by the appalling situation at Mobuoy. That is why I will move to launch the consultation as quickly as possible in order to help people to understand the proposals to minimise risks to water quality and the environment. <BR /> <BR />Safeguarding public health, ensuring safe drinking water and reducing the environmental impact of the Mobuoy site are paramount to me.”
“The issue of water quality is not an isolated one; it is serious in areas such as Lough Erne, and that is why we need to address it.”
“Thank you, Stewart. I know that it is considering that seriously, as am I. The situation with waste water infrastructure and the pollution that it causes in our waterways are not acceptable. The status quo will not pertain. The issue needs to be addressed, because it is contributing to poor water quality not just in Lough Neagh but in Belfast lough and other areas.”
“I am very conscious of the need for us to stay on the right side of the law, and that is why it is important that I take the actions that I take as Minister. Previously, we were not on the right side of the law on ammonia. I do not want to have us in the same situation on nutrients.”
“If anyone has not watched the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee meeting from last Thursday, I encourage them to tune in, because it is ably chaired and senior officials, including the chair, from the Office for Environmental Protection were there to outline their concerns. I fully — 100%, totally and utterly — appreciate the concerns that have been expressed by the farming community about the nutrients action programme. However, alongside that, we have significant environmental issues that we must address. <BR /> <BR />In a horizon-scanning document that was published two weeks ago, the Office for Environmental Protection outlined that the two issues on the horizon — it outlined previously that nutrients are its priority for the year ahead — are waste water and the nutrients action programme.”
“One of the key concerns that has been raised is access to labour and the migration rules that the UK Government have put in place. I again urge them to rethink those plans.”
“Thank you, Diane. I am engaging with the UK Government. I have asked for a meeting with the Minister who has direct responsibility for that in order to get more details, because I want to make sure that Northern Ireland gets its fair share. There are other issues arising from the deal, such as access to the 6-to-12 nautical mile zone in the South. I will look to engage directly with my Irish Government counterparts on that. <BR /> <BR />We want to continue to engage with the industry on wider issues, particularly harbour developments. We want to pull this together. There is lots of other stuff that we need to do on apprenticeships, which Michelle McIlveen raised. I want to explore that and the marketing of the industry. I will do what I can to support the fishing industry.”
“I know that people have consultation fatigue, but it is an opportunity for people to feed back. I am very keen to engage with people in order to find a road ahead. <BR /> <BR />On the fishing sector, which the Member mentioned, I am very disappointed with the UK Government's decision as part of the UK-EU agreement. I have been engaging with officials to see whether there is a package of support that we can deliver to the fishing industry in Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />I made it clear that we had a robust and frank exchange of views this morning with the Ulster Farmers' Union and the Northern Ireland Environment Link, but, out of that, there were constructive discussions about the potential to set up a stakeholder group, consisting of agri-food and environmental stakeholders, to consider the NAP proposals and the responses to the consultation and to inform decisions on what will be implemented and the time frames for doing so. I have been very clear about that engagement. There has been engagement, but there will be significantly more in the time ahead. We are very keen to do that and to engage with people. I recognise that the time frames for implementation are important for people. We are keen to find a way forward together. It is a public consultation, and those are draft proposals.”
“We have talked a wee bit about that today. I have made this very clear, but I will state again that the proposals are draft proposals, and it is a public consultation. It would be improper to close the public consultation and deny the public the opportunity to feed back. It is important that we give people an opportunity to consider the proposals and come back to us. We have received responses.”
“It is a power-sharing Executive, and I respect that we have different views. Hopefully, we can come to a common and agreed place.”
“We are under an obligation to proceed with that plan, and it is important that we do it. We are also under an obligation to adopt the river basin management strategy, and agreement on that is outstanding. Agreement is also outstanding on the dilapidation Bill. I will continue to engage with my Executive colleagues on that, and I know that there was commentary yesterday about the dilapidation Bill's not having been presented to this place. Hopefully, we can get agreement on it at the Executive meeting on Thursday. <BR /> <BR />I also need to get agreement on a legislative consent motion on welfare requirements for cats, dogs and ferrets, and I need that by Thursday. I also need agreement on the peatlands strategy. I will continue to engage respectfully with my Executive colleagues.”
“As I said, the draft green growth strategy was updated to reflect accuracy and relevance. It was shared with my Executive colleagues in December last year. Ministerial colleagues have come back with feedback, except for those from one party. I am still waiting for feedback from one partner in government. Once I receive that feedback, we can, hopefully, get agreement on the strategy, but it has been outstanding since December last year. It is important that we get it agreed because it gives us the opportunity to create good green jobs and increase decarbonisation. <BR /> <BR />There are many papers that I will continue to engage with my Executive colleagues on to get agreement for, including the climate action plan 2023-27. Essentially, all that I need is agreement to consult on the action plan.”
“The strategy was revised and updated to incorporate feedback from the consultation exercise and the impact of the Climate Change Act 2022. While my predecessor agreed the updated strategy, it was not possible to secure approval in the absence of an Executive. In the interim, the draft strategy has been further updated to reflect accuracy and relevance. It was shared with the Executive in December last year, and I await approval for it.”
“Thank you, Nuala. The green growth strategy is an important issue that we talked about earlier when we linked it to climate change. My Department has been leading on the development of a green growth strategy on behalf of the Northern Ireland Executive, and it has collaborated with other Departments, local government, key stakeholders, businesses and the voluntary and community sectors. It is a draft multi-decade strategy for climate, the environment and the economy. <BR /> <BR />The strategy sets out a long-term vision for the future of Northern Ireland, where we transition from a high to a net zero emissions society and enjoy the long-term economic, social, health and environmental benefits that that will bring. In October 2021, the Executive agreed on the text of a draft green growth strategy, which was issued for consultation.”
“A lot of focus is put on primary legislation, which is important, but secondary legislation offers an opportunity to address such issues, and I am keen to do that.”
“The fundamental issue is that the legislation needs to be changed so that it is made very clear that there is a requirement to update records and that there is an associated penalty. That is what has happened. We can send letters, and some councils are sending more than others, but, fundamentally, we want to make sure that councils do not have to send those letters and the records are updated. The animal welfare pathway will make sure that the registration details are updated and that there is much more of a legal requirement to do that. I worry that it is not happening, and, unfortunately, dogs are straying and we are not able to find the owners. We want to address that problem. <BR /> <BR />That is a practical example of what we can do in the Chamber through secondary legislation.”
“Thank you, Doug. The registration of dogs and the requirement to update records has been identified as a really important issue. It is part of the animal welfare pathway that we announced. That has 10 actions that will be taken forward between now and the end of the mandate. One such action is on the registration of dogs, because we want to make sure that there is more of a requirement to update the records. As you know, that does not occur in all cases, and we need to make sure that it is done. We also need better public awareness about dog ownership and about people's requirement to register dogs in the first place.”
“That is why I continue to seek Executive agreement on that strategy. The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, wrote to me yesterday and is very amenable to engaging with me and my Department so that we can create those good green jobs and decarbonise our society.”
“There are a number of things that we must do in response to climate change. We have to take actions to mitigate and adapt. The fact that the institutions did not sit for two years is why we are behind on the climate action plan 2023-27. That is with the Executive for agreement, so, once we have that, we will consult and get people's views on it. We have over 250 proposals on adaption, which will go out for consultation very soon. It is important that we get people's views. <BR /> <BR />The third issue is funding. We need to be able to deliver a just transition, but we also need to invest in the future and create good green jobs. I am engaging with the UK Government on that. I would like to be able to go to them with a green growth strategy as a template for delivering those good green jobs in Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />You will recall that the Assembly declared a climate emergency in 2020 — I made my maiden speech when we did that — and we passed the Climate Change Act 2022 unanimously at its Final Reading. Those were significant and welcome developments. My Department has been working at pace to implement many of the Act's requirements, including the introduction of climate reporting for public bodies; producing the first three carbon budgets; and taking forward work to establish a just transition commission. We have more to do, and I will continue to work with my Executive colleagues to do that.”
“I was pleased to see that a range of climate change-related questions were included in the most recent life and times survey, which is well established. A clear majority of respondents view climate change as a serious threat, support international cooperation and political action to address it and want local politicians to do more to tackle climate change. I was also heartened to see that the majority of respondents felt a personal responsibility to play their part in reducing climate change. Those results are encouraging for the direction of travel that Northern Ireland is taking to address one of the most pressing challenges that we face. I share those concerns, and decisive action in that area is one of my key priorities.”
“That is an important issue, Patsy. The DAERA Direct offices, for example, are really important. It is important that my departmental headquarters are in the north-west and that a number of staff are able to base themselves there whilst having the flexibility to work from home. It is important that we serve all our communities across Northern Ireland.”
“First, thank you for that, Patsy. I am thick-skinned enough to be able take some of the comments that were aimed at me. They were a bit shocking: I have not seen anything like that since the '90s. Some of the comments about foreign nationals who are working in our agri-food sector were beneath contempt, and it is important that we call them out. We can have a rational discussion about these things, but it should not descend into that. Some of the comments that have been made against officials are wrong. <BR /> <BR />I am not aware of any planned review of office accommodation. We do keep that under review because we want to make sure that we are managing our money effectively when it comes to accommodation. If you have concerns about sites that you feel are not being fully utilised, I am happy to discuss them with you.”
“As well as pups that have been illegally bred in Northern Ireland, my Department and its partner agencies remain aware that pups are being moved into Northern Ireland illegally from unlicensed breeding establishments in the Republic of Ireland. My officials have met their counterparts in the South to discuss how we can facilitate the exchange of information so that more can be done to tackle those operations at their source. In addition, my Department continues to run a social media-led awareness campaign to highlight the role that everyone has to play in tackling puppy smuggling.”
“That joined-up working has resulted in a significant number of seizures of pups and in criminal convictions for those involved. In addition to the targeted checks, councils carry out follow-up activity to identify potential illegal breeding sites. Since the group's inception, statistics gathered by my Department suggest that the number of pups being moved from Northern Ireland to Great Britain for sale through our ports has fallen by about 50%. That shows that the enhanced scrutiny of those movements has successfully deterred unscrupulous traders and transporters who do not care about animal welfare.”
“The puppy-smuggling trade in Northern Ireland commonly involves rogue dog breeders and puppy traffickers attempting to transport low-welfare pups via the two main ferry ports in Northern Ireland to be offered for sale in Great Britain. My Department created the Paws for Thought multi-agency group in 2020 to coordinate the actions of relevant statutory agencies here in order to disrupt the trafficking of low-welfare pups. The group comprises representatives from the police, HMRC, local councils, Belfast Harbour Police, ferry companies and DAERA officials. I met the group last year and saw its operation in action. <BR /> <BR />Through the group, it has been possible to target individuals who are known to be moving consignments of low-welfare pups to Great Britain through ferry terminals.”
“Thank you very much for your question, and thank you for your kind comments. <BR /> <BR />An independent resilience review was undertaken, and, as far as I am aware, it is on our website. Hopefully, it will outline a bit more on the evaluation of the importance of shows in Northern Ireland. The review was given full consideration, but, in the financial context that we are in, my focus is on meeting statutory obligations, such as discharging our obligation on bovine TB compensation. I want to see what more we can do as part of rural policy, and that is why we want to consider how agricultural shows fit into that.”
“Thank you very much for your question, Gary, and thank you for your kind comments. <BR /> <BR />DAERA generally has a presence at those shows, and I think that that presence is warmly welcomed. They are a good opportunity for engagement with the agriculture community, and we will continue that engagement alongside the support that I previously outlined. Agricultural shows are a part of rural life, and that is why, in future rural policy, I want to consider how we can mainstream them.”
“Any potential further support will be to cover costs associated with my Department's exhibits at agricultural shows during the 2025 show season. <BR /> <BR />I met representatives from the agricultural show industry and had a good engagement with them on the future support that will potentially be available through our future rural policy, and consideration will be given to hosting a business stakeholder engagement to allow for the co-design of that policy.”
“Provision of funding for local shows is not a statutory obligation under the Agriculture Act (Northern Ireland) 1949, and opportunities for financial support in the form of discretionary sponsorship are extremely limited. One such potential opportunity for funding exists under the Northern Ireland regional food programme delivered by DAERA. The scheme provides funding for the promotion of local food and drink at regional fairs and exhibitions, which includes agricultural shows. Following the recent competition, five local agricultural shows applied for funding. All five were successful, with letters of offer totalling £36,939·68 being issued to the Antrim, Armagh, Ballymoney, Castlewellan and Clogher shows.”
“Thank you very much, Connie. Your comments are very much appreciated. <BR /> <BR />The scheme will align with those in England, Scotland and the South of Ireland. Wales has decided to do its own thing, and I have meeting with Welsh officials on the matter afterwards. It is good that there will be North/South alignment, and, hopefully, we will see a cultural change. In Northern Ireland, we have a history of DRSs. We used to bring back lemonade bottles to get money for them. I remember collecting them as a child. We are essentially rolling out something that existed a long time ago.”
“Thank you very much, Mark, and thank you for your kind comments. It is important for you to say that, and I appreciate it. <BR /> <BR />The deposit return scheme will be positive. There is a value in the products that are being returned, so that will help people to understand the scheme's financial viability going forward. <BR /> <BR />There are lots of lessons to be learned from the South, which has had DRS in place since February last year. I am jealous of that, given that it has not yet been rolled out across the UK, essentially because the previous Government were more interested in bickering with other parts of the UK on the issues. EFRA Secretary of State, Steve Reed, and I will go down South and see it being rolled out. I saw it in Dundalk, and I want to show him that. It will be good to see the scheme rolled out North and South.”
“The appointment proceeds from the making of the Deposit Scheme for Drinks Containers (England and Northern Ireland) Regulations 2025 on 23 January. <BR /> <BR />My officials will continue to engage collaboratively with the UK DMO to meet our collective ambition for the DRS.”
“I am pleased to report that, alongside the EFRA Secretary of State, I approved the appointment of the UK Deposit Management Organisation (DMO) on 6 May as the operator of the deposit return scheme (DRS) in England and Northern Ireland. Subject to parliamentary approval, it has also been designated as the DRS scheme administrator in Scotland. <BR /> <BR />The UK DMO is an independent, not-for-profit, business-led organisation appointed by the Government to develop and ultimately deliver the schemes day-to-day. Importantly, the DMO's role is to create the necessary infrastructure and run the deposit return scheme. That means managing producer registrations, flow of deposits, financial obligations and the effective collection of drinks containers and ensuring that recycling rates improve over time.”
“The levy also funds the multimillion-pound environment fund, which delivers projects that protect and improve habitats, landscapes and the quality of air and water. It enhances access to the natural environment, with associated benefits to health and well-being and improved environmental education. Those are just some of the environmental benefits that the carrier bag levy income delivers every year.”
“The carrier bag levy income is used to fund environmental projects, and each project is assessed against the environmental benefits that it can deliver. While all the projects and their benefits are too numerous to list today, I would like to highlight just a few examples. <BR /> <BR />The levy funds the reuse and repair initiative, which is run by the Northern Ireland Resources Network. I know that the East Belfast Mission in the Member's constituency is a member of that network and is actively involved in reuse and repair activities for the good of the environment and society. It was the reuse and repair initiative in Bangor that repaired a light in my house, and I thank it for that.”
“It has made a contribution. In the greater scheme of what we can do on household recycling, it is not that significant, but it has an important role to play not just in recycling but in reducing waste going into, for example, our marine environment, which is something that we want to deal with. There is a wider sphere of work that we need to do to increase recycling not just by households but by businesses. I consulted on that last year, and we will bring forward proposals on that. I will also consult on a waste management strategy.”
“I welcome the success of the carrier bag levy, which, since its introduction in 2013, has already removed approximately 2·4 billion bags from circulation across Northern Ireland. Our carrier bag levy is the most extensive of its kind across the UK and extends to bags of all materials, not just plastic bags. The primary objective of the levy is to influence customer behaviour that will promote a reduction in the number of carrier bags in circulation. The latest carrier bag levy annual statistics, published on 22 August last year, show that the number of carrier bags dispensed in 2023-24 was 8·1% lower than in the previous year. In addition to the levy's environmental aims, the funds generated from it are made available to support environmentally beneficial programmes and initiatives.”
“I will not be found wanting in dealing with all forms of pollution, because it is a critical issue for us all.”
“I met the Infrastructure Minister yesterday about that. My role is in regulation and enforcement of that sewage pollution. What is happening is not right, and I am the first Minister to grasp the issue of regulation and enforcement. The bye ball that was given to NI Water when it was established in 2007 — the permission to pollute under the statement of regulatory principles and intent (SORPI) — is wrong. I want to see an end to that: I want NI Water to be treated like all other polluters in Northern Ireland. It is wrong that NI Water is given special status in that regard. Alongside that, we need to see investment in waste water infrastructure, and it is for everyone in the Chamber to engage with the Infrastructure Minister on that.”
“Thank you, Matthew, for your kind comments. Some of the social media commentary from well-known personalities and the comments below that commentary — they are platforming it — do not reflect the farming community in Northern Ireland. The reception that I have had from all arts and parts in Northern Ireland has been extremely welcoming and extremely positive. Some of the groups that I have engaged with, such as the Young Farmers' Clubs of Ulster, are really positive examples of inclusivity when it comes to the future of Northern Ireland. I want to put that on the record. We are all clear that there are challenges here, but there is no need to engage in such comments. Some of the comments against officials in my Department are really despicable. <BR /> <BR />You raised the important issue of sewage pollution.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am very conscious of the concerns that have been expressed not just about agri-food but by environmental groups. They are coming to me with legitimate concerns, such as, "Is this going to be the situation for ever and ever?". Today's discussions with the Ulster Farmers' Union and Northern Ireland Environment Link are about setting up a stakeholder group that will bring together all the relevant people to consider what will be brought forward and when and how we go forward with the measures. That is really positive, and I want to take that forward.”
“Thank you very much, Robbie. It was really good to meet you and the Deputy Chair beforehand, and I thank you for your ongoing productive relationship with me and the Department. <BR /> <BR />We have a challenge here. We have a crisis in water quality. It is not just Lough Neagh: Lough Erne and many other waterbodies across Northern Ireland are in a critical state. Forty per cent of our drinking water comes from Lough Neagh, so we have to address the issue. We also need to ensure financial viability and sustainability in the long term for agriculture, and that is what I am commissioned to do. It is a tough ask, but I am determined to do it. This is the challenge of my life, and I will deliver on it. We have to do that, because we owe it to the people of Northern Ireland.”
“I want to ensure that we get external independent assessment of some of the stuff that has been raised with me. I need to satisfy myself before I bring forward any final proposals. I also need to satisfy people who respond to the consultation that their concerns have been addressed. We will do that.”
“Thank you, Trevor, for your kind remarks. In the discourse around this and many other issues, it is much better to play the ball and not the player. There is a consultation on the issue. There are many good people across the Chamber for whom I have a lot of respect, and we can debate these things. Let us find a way forward. <BR /> <BR />My Chief Scientific Adviser is Alistair Carson. I was with him this morning. I have respect for the different opinions on the issue. I am conscious that there is discourse on the science and the evidence. Processes are in place in the Department to seek independent expert scientific advice and to commission external peer reviews of any issues that may need to be considered transparently and robustly off the back of the consultation.”