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.”
The complete record
Every one of 4,733 lines we hold for Andrew Muir, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 39 of 95.
“I met the banks at the end of last year to discuss how they can support agriculture in Northern Ireland. That has turned into an ongoing engagement, not just with the four main banks but with HSBC and others, so that, collectively, we can support farmers in Northern Ireland.”
“As I outlined previously, the sustainable agriculture programme is a key part of that. We have secured ring-fenced funding in the draft Budget to allow us to roll out the sustainable agriculture programme, which offers something for every farmer in Northern Ireland, particularly dairy farmers. At the end of last year, I was delighted to attend the winter fair and engage with the industry on the issue. I know the challenges, particularly with TB, so I have asked the stakeholder group to bring back a delivery plan by the end of the month, and I will announce the way forward next month. I am committed to helping the industry, and I am very conscious of the market conditions, which, in the round, seem favourable, and the challenges with TB.”
“Yes, I will continue to work with the council. My Department will do that. One lesson that has to be learnt from the storm concerns the real impact that it has had on our forestry estate and what we can do in response. Forest Service plans to plant native trees predominantly in areas where a previous forest crop has been clear-felled. Native woodland planting on those sites follows the approved design plan for the forest and areas that include riparian zones that are adjacent to existing native woodland or in woodland corridors, providing connectivity for native fauna. Forest Service management regimes also allow for the natural regeneration of locally seeded native trees in areas where there is a seed source and the ground conditions allow for that type of forest establishment.”
“Forest Service and the council will continue to address those issues over the next few days. It is hoped that full access will be reinstated for the beginning of April.”
“Thank you, Connie. Cairn Wood is one of the many forest areas that suffered significant damage during the recent storm, resulting in restrictions on pedestrian and vehicle access for public safety reasons. That caused access to be restricted to the forest track, walking trails and car park at Cairn Wood. Ards and North Down Borough Council manages the car park and recreational facilities at Cairn Wood under licence arrangements with Forest Service. Forest Service and the council are involved in tree clearance works to enable the safe reopening of the facilities in Cairn Wood as soon as possible. I understand that tree clearance and path works are well advanced. However, a number of larger trees and upturned tree root plates remain to be dealt with.”
“That is obviously a theme in Question Time today. I am delighted to see that interest in Farming with Nature, environmental farming schemes and the support that we can give. My Department will launch the Farming with Nature transition scheme very soon, which will continue the roll-out of the package. As Minister, I want to be able to scale up our support for Farming with Nature. I am keen to do that. Whilst England may take its own decisions, we in Northern Ireland are clear that we want to support farmers to have Farming with Nature as an enterprise on the farm. We are really keen to roll that out. We need to do that with pace. We have lost a bit of pace as a result of the collapse of these institutions. I am very determined to do it, and we will do it through a process of co-design.”
“The Climate Change Committee has issued advice on our fourth carbon budget and, most recently, on the UK-wide road to net zero. One of the key elements of that advice is on the benefits of decarbonisation of our energy systems, particularly electricity. There is a cost to doing that, but there are significant long-term benefits, including lifting people out of fuel poverty; reducing the cost of energy for not just households but businesses; and removing the ongoing uncertainty about the risks of energy insecurity, thereby allowing us to have a bit more security of supply. That is why we should follow the road to net zero. That is why the rest of the world is doing it and why we in Northern Ireland should take cognisance of the CCC's advice on the issue.”
“That is set out in the farm safety plan that the Department launched last year. It is really important, and I will send you a copy. There is stuff in the plan that concerns what you are asking about, but there is also the wider issue of messaging, in which we can all share. Collectively, we all have a role to play in that. I will send you the plan so that you will have a bit more information.”
“Thank you, Maolíosa. My heart goes out to the family. When I heard about that accident in recent days, given the consequences, it reminded me of the dangers of being a farmer in Northern Ireland. I send my thoughts and prayers to the family and friends of Mr Logue and to the community circle that supports people at such times. <BR /> <BR />We work collaboratively on such issues with not just the Health and Safety Executive but the Department for the Economy. Conor Murphy and I launched a plan last year. We will have a joint presence at the Balmoral show, which is coming up very soon. It is important that we all do that work together. The Ulster Farmers' Union was part of that plan, because thinking about what more we can do to prevent deaths on farms is a collective issue.”
“I am happy to take representations. I was looking to introduce a sheep support scheme, but, as a result of resource constraints in my Department, we had to put it on the back burner. We are trying to roll out Farming with Nature as a result of representations from Patsy, and people want us to proceed with that support package. Once we get that done, we will roll out a sheep support scheme. If there are particular concerns in the Member's constituency, I am happy to consider them and to engage with him.”
“I am aware of the concerns. The Department ran a pilot initiative to raise awareness of sheep scab. I am keen to see whether we can explore running that initiative again, and I will be engaging with officials on the importance of raising awareness of the issue.”
“I will put my heart and soul into supporting agri-food in Northern Ireland and into giving us a competitive edge. <BR /> <BR />If they read the 'Irish Farmers Journal', which I do every Wednesday evening, Members will know that there is a distinct difference between the South of Ireland and the North because of contrasting fiscal positions. The UK economy is in the doldrums. Ministers from the UK Government talk to me about deficits, whereas Ministers from the South talk to me about surpluses. There is a big lesson to be learned from that. Brexit —”
“As a result of our leaving the European Union, each part of the UK is developing its own policies, and there is an issue with potential divergence. I want to ensure that Northern Ireland has a competitive advantage. Something that we have in our favour is our operation of the Windsor framework. We have advantages in Northern Ireland that other parts of the UK were keen to have but do not, so it is important that we grasp them. Now that we have certainty over the full, faithful and timely implementation of the Windsor framework, we can sell that to businesses. We also want to develop policies that support farmers in Northern Ireland, and I continue to roll out measures. The suckler cow scheme is coming in next month. There is also Farming with Nature.”
“I was glad to secure in the draft Budget support for agriculture, agrienvironment, fisheries and rural development in Northern Ireland as a ring-fenced fund in the next financial year and in future financial years. I was the only devolved Minister able to get that. Included in that funding will be the Farming with Nature support package, which we are taking forward at pace. It is a key priority for me, and we want to be able to deliver that support to farmers. England is doing what it is doing, but we will do what we can to support farmers in Northern Ireland.”
“I raised the issue with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs last week, and his response was that the money had run out. That is one of the issues that has arisen as a result of Brexit, because, when we were in the EU, we got our funding in seven-year tranches through the common agricultural policy (CAP). We are now in a situation in which each part of the UK has to decide its own farming support measures.”
“It is absolutely vital because it is the basis on which our agri-food industry trades.”
“I will do whatever I can. Because of the Windsor Framework (Implementation) Regulations 2024, some of those areas sit under the direction and control of the Secretary of State. I met Baroness Hayman last week, and I will continue with that relationship. One of the challenges that I have is around the border control points and who has direction and control over those.”
“My Department currently has sufficient resources to ensure that the movement of animals under licence complies with the conditions of the licence for which my Department has responsibility.”
“One of the key actions that we can take is public messaging, which is why Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful has a key role in this as well. We want to get a clear message to the public that you should not litter, because it creates an unsightly mess across Northern Ireland, creates environmental damage and we have to put in resources to clean it up. Collectively, that is the message that we want to give. I find the relationship that we have with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful very worthwhile and helpful.”
“<BR /> <BR />In the meantime, I have allocated resources from my departmental budget to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency to strengthen regulation on enforcement, particularly for water quality. An enforcement liaison group has been established in the Department. The group will provide expertise and input into the preparation for the consultation on the enforcement of fixed penalty notices that is being led by the fisheries Bill team. Officials intend to launch the consultation and review in May 2025.”
“That is an important area. A robust, fair, proportionate and targeted enforcement regime is essential to act as a deterrent and champion the principle of "the polluter pays", and I am committed to delivering it. Key to it will be an independent review, including a consultation on the environmental crime sentencing framework around fines and penalties. I have made strengthening environmental governance a priority and, working with the Department of Justice, we will carry out a review of penalties and fines for environmental crimes and identify improvements that can be made to ensure a more streamlined and effective penalty regime. I want to ensure that our penalty regime is effective in the protections it offers for our environment and can drive compliance with new farm sustainability standards.”
“<BR /> <BR />The environmental crime unit continues to adopt a multi-agency approach through operational cooperation with other government agencies. By working with partner agencies, the environmental crime unit takes a comprehensive approach to tackling illegal waste criminality through its effective inter-agency collaboration.”
“The environmental crime unit within the regulation and enforcement division of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency continues to investigate and prosecute the most serious and persistent environmental crime in Northern Ireland with a particular focus on waste criminality. The environmental crime unit focuses its resources on the cases that present the most significant risk to the environment and public health and utilises powers contained in the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 to pursue prosecutions. Such prosecutions are often coupled with confiscation proceedings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, which are aimed at ensuring that those convicted of the crimes are deprived of their assets and asserting the "polluter pays" principle.”
“Thank you, Nuala. I would be delighted to do that. I have been to see the work that the National Trust is taking forward, and I would be delighted to take up your kind invite for a visit. Hopefully, we can do that in the time ahead.”
“This will include the establishment of a 1·5-kilometre Glencairn route connecting Ballygomartin to the existing path network on Divis and Black Mountain. Planning permission was granted for the project in February, and works are due to commence on-site from summer 2025. <BR /> <BR />The project provides a great example of connecting communities and people to nature and providing outdoor recreation opportunities that will help enhance the mental health and well-being of citizens. It also delivers important space for nature.”
“The National Trust, with local communities and partners, is undertaking the Divis — A View to the Future project for both people and nature. It is intended to deliver accessible urban upland green spaces where people and place thrive together in a healthy, nature-rich and wild landscape. The project is being funded by my Department's environment fund, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Garfield Weston Foundation and the National Trust. <BR /> <BR />To date, the project has been gathering scientific information to inform the development of habitat restoration plans. It is anticipated that a peatland restoration plan will be released and work commenced in autumn 2025. New pond areas are due to be created by March 2026. Improved visitor facilities and enhanced access to the hills are a key part of the project.”
“Making Lucy's law work in Northern Ireland will require education so that people do not get duped and know how to spot the telltale signs of rogue breeders. We need our citizens to be brave and report suspicious activity to the relevant statutory organisations so that investigations can be launched. Finally, we need robust enforcement mechanisms so that action can be taken.”
“There were not many benefits from the fact that the Assembly was collapsed for two years, but one benefit is that we can learn from what other areas learned as a result of progressing legislation. One of those areas of legislation was Lucy's law. The introduction of Lucy's law in England aimed to tackle the root causes of animal welfare issues, such as unethical breeding practices, by setting specific criteria for the sale of pets and ensuring that only licensed breeders could sell puppies or kittens. Indeed, the legislation has really helped increase awareness around buying a puppy and responsible dog breeders. <BR /> <BR />Stopping the most unscrupulous breeders is always a challenge, as they continue to operate in the shadows and prey on unsuspecting dog lovers. Therefore, robust legislation is merely one tool.”
“I have approved a policy proposal that will not only ban third-party sales of pups and kittens in Northern Ireland but facilitate greater transparency and accountability. The proposal would place legal requirements on anyone who wishes to sell or transfer the ownership of a pup or kitten. This will enable purchasers to identify where their pup or kitten has come from and reinforce positive animal welfare measures. My officials held a workshop with councils on 20 February to discuss the proposal and hear their views. Their feedback is being reviewed, and work is progressing towards launching a public consultation soon.”
“I will continue to make those representations, because they are about investing for the future and delivering benefits for people in Northern Ireland.”
“As part of the process for the Budget that was announced at the end of October, I made representations for a just transition fund for agriculture. I was not successful in that, so I made a bid to the Finance Minister locally, and, in the draft Budget, there is funding set aside for a just transition fund for agriculture. I continue that work. We are making representations through the Minister of Finance to the UK Government about future financial years and the support that we can give. I have also made representations to the Prime Minister and the Minister in the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero or DESNZ — sorry, another acronym — in London about the need for us to have a green new deal in Northern Ireland.”
“What some people seem to forget — rather conveniently, frankly — is that it was my predecessor, the DUP Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, who introduced that legislation, and the Assembly voted unanimously for it. What I am doing is implementing the will of the Assembly as expressed in 2022.”
“Investing in dealing with climate change is important. I was at an exhibition this morning by Trócaire, which showed the consequences of climate change for the most vulnerable in society. Those who have contributed least to climate change feel the consequences of it most. There is a moral obligation to look beyond Northern Ireland when dealing with climate change, and it is important that we do that. <BR /> <BR />I understand that we have to invest in decarbonising our economy. Many businesses are doing that. I meet them daily, and they are on that journey. Some people need to understand that, if we want our economy to grow sustainably, we need to be on the road to net zero. I am committed to doing that.”
“Thank you very much, Danny. The Climate Change Committee published its fourth carbon budget advice on 19 March. I welcome that. It advises us on our pathway to net zero and states that there will be a net saving during the fourth carbon budget period, which is 2038 to 2042. <BR /> <BR />I encourage anyone who has not read it to read it. There are strong benefits, particularly regarding the decarbonisation of electricity. We must grasp the opportunity. If we do not, there is a risk that we will lose pace and not be able to create the good green jobs that we want to create in Northern Ireland and deliver prosperity for our people.”
“<BR /> <BR />Through the British-Irish Council (BIC) and the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC), I also have ongoing engagement with my counterparts from across the UK and Ireland that, among other areas of shared interest, includes discussions on how we can address climate change together. I want to build on those issues and am in the process of arranging a meeting with my ministerial counterpart in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC), following his appointment in January. I hope that that meeting will take place shortly.”
“<BR /> <BR />I was pleased to be able to host and chair recently the first in-person meeting of the net zero, energy and climate change inter-ministerial group in Belfast — I thank Belfast Harbour estate for hosting us — on 6 March. The next meeting is planned for early May. I have also been fortunate to have had the opportunity for additional engagement on matters relating to climate change with my Welsh and Scottish counterparts through our joint membership of the Under2 Coalition. Separate to those IMG structures, I engage with my counterparts from across the UK on ensuring that, collectively, we fulfil our responsibilities under the UK-wide Climate Change Act 2008. That includes the emissions trading scheme.”
“The impacts of climate change are indiscriminate and affect us globally. Therefore, I fully recognise the necessity and importance of working with my counterparts in the rest of the UK and Ireland to address the climate crisis and to achieve our shared net zero goals. <BR /> <BR />At a UK level, I engage with my counterparts in the UK Government, the Welsh Government and the Scottish Government on matters relating to climate change through a number of inter-ministerial groups (IMGs), including the net zero, energy and climate change inter-ministerial group and the environment, food and rural affairs inter-ministerial group. Those discussions allow for knowledge transfer and identification of opportunities for collaboration.”
“I would need to check the law on that and the UK-wide position under the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020. I will write to the Member on the issue.”
“There are five slaughterhouses in Northern Ireland producing meat that may be marketed as halal. All halal slaughter in Northern Ireland uses pre-slaughter stun.”
“That is a wider issue that would probably be led primarily by the Department for the Economy, but we are conscious of our commitments around it. I am proud to have Katrina Godfrey in the role of permanent secretary as a champion of those issues. It is something that I am keen to do. The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) student intake that is coming through has a good gender balance. We can do more, and Katrina is doing excellent work in that regard.”
“We are looking to redouble those efforts and to cooperate a lot more on the issue. These are common challenges: where we can work together, I am up for it.”
“That is a really important question. We have quite a lot of good cross-border cooperation as part of the co-centres, which are absolutely key. One key area on which I want us to do a lot more cross-border cooperation is that of TB. That is a significant issue for farmers in Northern Ireland and for my Department, and I can see the mental anguish on the faces of a lot of farmers when they are suffering a herd breakdown as a result of TB. Therefore, significant engagement has taken place between officials, North and South. I met my previous counterpart, Charlie McConalogue, last year, and I hope to have a meeting with Martin Heydon. We talked about it briefly recently. A lot of our meetings to date, unfortunately, have been around issues such as avian influenza and foot-and-mouth disease.”
“<BR /> <BR />Turning to the resultant recovery times of the lough itself, I have highlighted before the fact Lough Neagh has suffered from decades of pollution from nutrients from agriculture, waste water, septic tanks and industrial processes. Modelling work undertaken by AFBI and Ulster University scientists indicates that it may take as long as 40 years for the lough to return to a "good" classification. However, it is important that timescales for full recovery do not deter the implementation of actions set out in the action plan, which includes the science platform.”
“The Chief Scientific Adviser's office is working with senior science representatives from the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), DAERA's environment, fisheries and marine group, the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Northern Ireland Water, Queen's University and Ulster University to help to oversee a joined-up programme of scientific work for the lough and take forward work on science-related actions in the Lough Neagh action plan. That includes the development of a Lough Neagh science platform and the development and validation of models to apportion nutrient loadings from agriculture and non-agriculture sources, river catchment and sub-catchment levels.”
“<BR /> <BR />As set out in my Department’s business and corporate plans, championing and investing in science, including social sciences, innovation and knowledge transfer is a means of addressing policy challenges and unlocking new economic opportunities. My Department invests significantly in science services each year, and its science strategy framework guides how that investment can be optimised. DAERA’s science system has three goals: get the best science, get the best value from science and make the best use of science. Under the guidance of my Chief Scientific Adviser, a series of project-led science transformation initiatives is being embedded across multidisciplinary teams in the DAERA family.”
“I recognise the crucial importance of science and research in helping to achieve my Department’s strategic goals and objectives by ensuring that policy is evidence-based and delivers tangible actions. I personally believe in that. We need to get back to making decisions that are based on science and evidence and away from populism. Also, science is key in developing innovations to address the strategic challenges that we face on issues such as climate change and the nutrient pollution in areas such as Lough Neagh. I want policymakers to have access to the best available data, evidence and knowledge, which will benefit every citizen in Northern Ireland.”
“We have significant legislative provisions in place. If there are representations from district councils to ask us to reconsider those, I am happy to do so. The main thing is to send a message to the public that people should not do that. It is an individual responsibility. District councils and NIEA are having to go in and pick up the tab for people who are fly-tipping, and that is wrong.”
“The primary focus of household recycling centres is households, and, obviously, it is for councils to take their own actions in how they manage their operations. We have to work collectively on the issue of fly-tipping, and, currently, nine of the 11 councils are signed up to the protocol. Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council and Mid and East Antrim Borough Council are the two outliers that have not signed up. I have asked my officials to engage with the remaining two councils with a view to getting them signed up.”
“A range of new enforcement powers became available to councils on 2 January 2023 under the Waste and Contaminated Land (Amendment) Act 2011. Those powers relate to articles in the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997, including article 4 concerning a prohibition on unauthorised or harmful deposit, treatment or disposal of waste; article 5 regarding a duty of care as respects waste; and article 28 on powers to require the removal of waste unlawfully deposited. Under article 28 of the Waste and Contaminated Land Order 1997, a council may direct those responsible for the deposited waste to remove it. If they fail to do so, the council may intervene and remove the waste and seek cost recovery from those responsible. Under articles 4 and 5, councils may prosecute those involved in fly-tipping activity.”
“That is a key issue, which is why I continue to seek a meeting with my ministerial counterpart in the South, who took up office in January. It is important that we engage on the issue. We need to take an all-Ireland approach to dealing with the issue of waste crime and fly-tipping. I am very keen to have that engagement with him.”