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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“Many issues will be discussed in the meeting this week. If people think that ownership will be the solution to the problems of Lough Neagh, they are badly mistaken. There are big issues there that we need to address. We all have to face up to some really hard decisions, and I will outline those in the next weeks. Let us be clear: there is not an easy solution for Lough Neagh. Big, hard decisions and funding will be required to turn the situation around.”
“Councils in Northern Ireland play a key role in waste management. I will seek a meeting with the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA), SOLACE, Arc21 and other organisations in the time ahead to discuss the way forward. I welcome the developments in Belfast City Council on glass collection. The ambition being shown in Belfast and by other councils across Northern Ireland is to be commended. I want to find a way in which I can support them.”
“My Department's remit is quite wide and includes waste management. I am conscious that those responsibilities include strategy, policy, legislation and, where funds permit, grant support. We have requirements outlined in the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 and the Waste and Contaminated Land (Northern Ireland) Order 1997. That means that we must show more ambition and take greater action on waste management. We should reduce, reuse and improve the quality and quantity of what we recycle. <BR /> <BR />I will seek to commence a consultation later this year on household and non-household municipal recycling. The challenge is to convince hearts and minds about that, balancing compliance with the law, financial, environmental and social factors.”
“A particular challenge for me as Minister is how I engage with them and, most especially, with the farming community so that we can break down barriers and misperceptions and bring people together.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I have asked my officials for more guidance on that to see how we can progress it. I am aware of how the funding goes through, and you have acknowledged the value of that. In my Department, money can go much further, and the opportunities and benefits for rural communities can be significant. I have already got a query in with my officials to see what more we can do about that. <BR /> <BR />We also need to look at rural affairs in a wider sphere and recognise not only the isolation that can be felt but the sense of community. We can bind communities together and address the isolation that is often felt in rural communities.”
“I was conscious, on taking up office, that some people refer to me as "the Minister of Agriculture", so I usually finish that sentence with, "Environment and Rural Affairs". Sometimes, rural affairs has been second fiddle to the rest of the Department. I am keen to see how we can move forward. The development programme is one part of it, and there is the associated grant support. <BR /> <BR />Also, I am aware of the powers in the Rural Needs Act (Northern Ireland) 2016, and I question whether it really has significant teeth, because it just refers to "due regard". I will engage with officials in the time ahead to help me scope out my priorities for rural affairs and rural development. This is week 3 for me in the Department. I usually try to get six or seven hours' sleep a night. I will return to the issue later this week.”
“I am very aware of the issues and of the associated legal challenges that arose. One element of bovine TB is a wildlife strategy, and we have to consider that. Let us engage. Let us see whether we can find a way forward. I am aware of my party's policy. People will not be surprised by it. In the time ahead, as Minister, I will be guided by evidence and science. You cannot really go wrong if you are guided by those.”
“<BR /> <BR />I will engage with officials and stakeholders in the time ahead so that we can chart a course out of the current situation and so that we can look at situation in the rest of the UK and Ireland to see how they have approached the issue. The current situation is not sustainable.”
“I am very conscious and aware of the issue of bovine TB. I was briefed on the issue on the Saturday on which I took office. The honeymoon ends quickly when you leave the Chamber. There are challenges around that issue, because it is not sustainable for farms, and it is not financially sustainable for the Department. I am also aware that, when TB arrives on a farm — let us be clear that 10% of the herd has currently or previously been affected and associated with it — it causes distress and apprehension. Over time, we need to get a strategy in place that gives a bit of light at the end of the tunnel for the farms and businesses that are affected.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I am conscious that our farming community is a key part of our economy and that, on a lot of occasions, people putting long hours and a lot of dedication into the family business is a generational thing. We need to find ways in the Department to support that. I am conscious of the concerns around the need to use the system and for it to be responsive. I will engage with officials about some of the concerns that have been raised recently to see whether we can find a way to ensure that we address those and are more attuned to any concerns from users. It is important that we respond to those concerns.”
“I am aware of the issues and the associated media reports at the weekend. There are always issues with the roll-out of IT systems; usually, they do not go exactly as planned. However, if people have particular concerns, they should raise them with the Department pretty promptly so that we can investigate them. In the past week or two, I was briefed by officials on the roll-out of the system. I am happy to hear about any particular concerns about it, because the system is absolutely vital for our industry.”
“The focus over the next number of weeks will be on putting bids into the Department of Finance for the budget for next year. I am conscious that finance is the key element that constrains what my Department can do, whether in grant support, education or enforcement. I intend to make an ambitious bid to the Department of Finance, because we need those resources for enforcement to safeguard our environment. If there are any particular concerns about those reports being made and not being followed up in a prompt manner, I am happy to hear about them.”
“As was once said, all politics is local. I am aware of those issues. I have been briefed by my Department on that. Anyone who becomes aware of such issues should report them immediately to the pollution hotline. Without those immediate reports, any investigation will be impeded.”
“I am determined that the new advice will be evidence-based and capable of ensuring full compliance with environmental law. I also want to ensure that the policy development process reflects an understanding of the needs and aspirations of our agri-food sector, which makes such an important contribution to our economic well-being. <BR /> <BR />In the meantime, my Department has put in place an interim assessment approach, which will be used while a revised operational protocol is being developed. The interim assessment, which is based on robust scientific evidence, allows my officials to deal with planning applications in a legally compliant way, using site-specific advice on a case-by-case basis. As I outlined, my officials seek to work with that.”
“I am conscious that, informed by the requirements of the legislation in place to cover decision-making in the absence of Ministers, my officials took a decision that they could no longer rely on published ammonia standing advice, also known as the operational protocol, as the basis for statutory advice on planning applications. That decision was taken following very careful consideration of the legislative obligations placed on my Department and in response to a potential legal challenge by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP). <BR /> <BR />At this point, I have no plans to reverse the decision, rather my focus is on developing a new ammonia strategy that will be accompanied by new advice to inform planning decisions.”
“As Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, I am keen to work North/South and east-west. There are a lot of commonalities, and the reality is that trade moves both ways. Last Thursday, I spoke to Pippa Hackett from the South. I have also been in contact with Charlie McConalogue, and I am engaging with Eamon Ryan. I am doing the same with my colleagues in Wales and Scotland, and I have reached out to DEFRA. I have invited Steve Barclay to Northern Ireland, but, if he will not come here, I will go and see him, because we need to engage across the whole North/South and east-west area and to work towards our common goals.”
“I thank the Member for his question; he is moving ahead to Diane's question. I am very conscious of the issue around ammonia. Over the past two weeks, I have read quite a lot about ammonia. I have the KPMG report, which was produced by the sector, at my bedside. I have read over half of it already. I am aware that it is a complex issue. There are no easy solutions. I am also aware of the current situation that is impeding planning applications. My officials are working hard to address any issues in the system. We need to move at pace and to make sure that whatever we do is correct, so that we are not back at square one. I acknowledge the frustration and anger from the sector on the matter. I hear it, and I intend to act.”
“That scheme is the most significant new element from the overall farm support programme to be added in 2024-25. Work is ongoing on the development of the proposed farm sustainability payment, farming with nature package and a number of other enabling measures and action schemes. <BR /> <BR />I will take some time to consider the overall content and progress of the proposed programme and how it addresses the priorities in the sector. I had a constructive meeting, last week, with the Ulster Farmers' Union at which we discussed this. The meeting was productive and useful, and there was a meeting of minds on many areas. I say to those who have a perception about me that I intend, over the next three years, to prove them wrong.”
“That timeline provided the industry with an overview of when proposed schemes and measures will be introduced on a phased basis, subject to legislative and business case cover. <BR /> <BR />On 1 January 2024, the beef carbon reduction scheme was introduced. It is aimed at improving the efficiency of the beef sector and reducing livestock greenhouse gas emissions, thereby contributing to meeting the Climate Change Act targets.”
“I congratulate the Member on his appointment as Chair of the Committee, and I look forward to working with him. <BR /> <BR />The farm support and development programme is something on which I have been engaging with officials over the past two weeks, and I will be engaging with them again tomorrow. My officials have been working on the new farm support and development programme. The schemes and measures that are being introduced will provide levers to contribute to statutory obligations under the Climate Change Act 2022, with a firm focus on just transition. In June 2023, my Department launched a timeline for the roll-out of its proposed farm support and development programme.”
“My officials are leading on the development of a cross-departmental Northern Ireland food strategy framework. It is a new, strategic, collaborative effort on food that will help improve economic, environmental, health and social outcomes for Northern Ireland. A public consultation exercise was carried out in the autumn of 2021. A Northern Ireland food strategy framework review lab, involving all relevant Departments, was held in October last year, with the aim of testing the draft framework against recent changes in the strategic policy context and refreshing the text, as required. I look forward to reviewing the food strategy framework, and I intend to discuss the matter with Executive colleagues before consideration of its publication.”
“Those programmes include the Northern Ireland regional food programme, which supports the promotion of Northern Ireland produce. <BR /> <BR />My officials are also progressing a range of new policies across agriculture and food. In particular, DAERA is leading on the development of a new cross-departmental food strategy framework, which presents a new whole-of-government approach to food in order to get better outcomes for Northern Ireland, to transform our food system for future generations and to help position Northern Ireland as the home of sustainable food. <BR /> <BR />I am committed to working across government and with other partners to address the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. I look forward to receiving further briefings from my officials on those important areas and will consider how they can be progressed.”
“I am very aware of the value and importance of the agri-food sector to Northern Ireland’s economy, with the agriculture and food processing sectors employing around 80,000 people. That is particularly significant in our rural and coastal areas. I was inspired by my visit last week to Roy Lyttle's farm in Newtownards, and I look forward to engaging with a wide range of stakeholders in the coming weeks and months to hear their views on ways in which to help the sector to continue to prosper, as well as their playing a critical role in achieving our environmental obligations. <BR /> <BR />My Department is dedicated to improving the sustainability, productivity and resilience of the agri-food sector in Northern Ireland and continues to operate a range of existing programmes to support it.”
“I am very conscious of the issues associated with the restocking of our angling estate as a result of the issues with the fish farm. The issue that the Member raises is one of many that I am dealing with on coming into office. I have over 150 requests to meet and an inbox that is overflowing. There is a lot to do, and that issue is part of that work. The fact that we did not have a Government for the past two years has had a significant impact. We are going to see the consequences of that play out over not just the weeks and months ahead but the years and decades ahead.”
“We have seen with a number of issues, such as Lough Neagh, that the need for one has developed over time. We need an independent body that can have the foresight to call out an issue before it becomes a problem. We also need to have something that can guide not just the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs but other Departments. The whole issue of environmental governance is one for across government, not just for my Department.”
“I thank the Member for her question. As part of the environmental governance review, we need to look at how the Office for Environmental Protection is functioning and how it relates to Northern Ireland. I can see benefits associated with it where it has called us out on what we are doing, but does it have the understanding that is needed on Northern Ireland? I am not entirely sure about that, and the review, hopefully, will be able to tease that out. Essentially, we need an independent body that can call me out, and I am quite keen to establish that.”
“I say from a genuine place that it is a damning indictment that this situation was allowed to unfold.”
“I am aware of the issues associated with ownership of the lough. I am meeting the Earl of Shaftesbury this week. I am looking forward to that meeting, which will be frank and open. I will be very keen to see the outcome of the work that the Lough Neagh Partnership is doing. It has recently received National Lottery funding to facilitate a review of the management and ownership of the lough. So, this is a twin-track approach when it comes to my engagement with the current owner and the future options for this. <BR /> <BR />There are no quick wins with the issues associated with Lough Neagh, and I think that it is important that I put it on the record in the Chamber today that it is highly likely that the scenes that we saw last year will occur this year.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I would like to see that review carried out this year. Obviously, it depends on resources in the Department. The steps after that are that there will be a consultation with the public and then reliance on Executive colleagues to allow this to go forward. I seek to engage with all sectors of society to outline the benefits associated with an independent environmental protection agency. It was one of the commitments in New Decade, New Approach, and it needs to be delivered.”
“This work will need to reflect the changed landscape for environmental oversight, including as a result of the UK leaving the EU, the role that the Office for Environmental Protection already plays and how we can interact with the Environmental Protection Agency in Ireland. It will also need to take account of the requirements in the Climate Change Act. <BR /> <BR />I will provide a further update to Members in the coming weeks on how a review of environmental governance will be taken forward, ensuring that it incorporates meaningful consultation and engagement.”
“I believe that good environmental governance is about focusing on environmental outcomes and ensuring that we have the optimal structures and processes in place to enable us to achieve those outcomes. <BR /> <BR />My immediate priority, reflecting the statutory obligation placed on the Department, is to secure Executive approval for the draft environmental improvement plan. However, I also want to explore options for strengthening environmental governance for the longer term, in particular looking at the benefits that could accrue from setting up an independent environmental protection agency.”
“I am indeed, and, as a constituency MLA, I met the chief executive of Northern Ireland Water on Friday. That issue is in one of its plans. Ballyholme beach has been plagued with issues of water quality, so we need to have a specific focus on how we can turn that around.”
“I thank the Member for her question, and I would be delighted to do that. It is important to hear their concerns, which are not just in relation to water quality but about sampling and reporting so that people are aware when it is safe to swim. I will be happy to meet those groups.”
“I am very conscious that this is an issue that requires many Departments to feed into it. As I outlined in my answer, agricultural run-off and waste water infrastructure are two of the primary causes of pollution. We need to invest in waste water infrastructure, and I will be looking to my colleague in the Department for Infrastructure for investment around that, which will flow from the Department of Finance. <BR /> <BR />We know what actions are required in relation to agricultural run-off, but I need support from the sector and from the Department of Finance so that we can make the investments to address the situation. It should not be like this, but we have to work together to turn it around. I am conscious that sea swimming is a very popular activity that people are engaging in, but they need to do it with confidence that it is safe.”
“The proposals will also include working with Northern Ireland Water to target waste water infrastructure investment.”
“I thank the Member for his question; this is something that is very close to my heart. My Department seeks to improve water quality through the mechanisms outlined in the river basin management plans, which also cover coastal waters. Before bringing the third river basin management plan to the Executive, I will need to consider the outworkings of the water quality review on Lough Neagh and the reports of the Office for Environmental Protection and the Northern Ireland Audit Office, which are due to be published in the near future. The primary sources of pollution are agricultural run-off and waste water. I will be examining how we tackle pollution from agriculture through measures like the review of the nutrient action programme.”
“I thank the Member for his question: there were two questions there. First, I have to declare that my stepfather is a quality manager with the A6 project from Dungiven to Drumahoe. In relation to that, I am aware of the concerns that this situation could impede the second phase of the A6. As for a public inquiry, I am committed to ensuring the range of conditions in which the perpetrators of the crime against the environment are prosecuted and that public safety is protected. At the moment, my focus is on the immediate issues, considering the need for remediation. I am very conscious of the financial costs that would be associated with an inquiry.”
“As the Member has outlined, the whole issue of environmental crime is a matter for concern, as is the need for enforcement around it. The people who are dumping are engaging in criminal activity, and, in Northern Ireland, we need to make sure that we are turning all our energies towards catching the perpetrators who are associated with that. I hope to be in Derry/Londonderry in the next number of weeks, and I will visit the site in order to look at those issues. I will be happy for the Member to correspond with me on any particular issues on which enforcement needs to be focused.”
“I know that we need to move on it, but we need to do that correctly and ensure that we are taking into account the public comments and concerns. It is right up there in our priorities, but I want to make sure that, whatever we do here, we do it right.”
“I recognise that remediation is expected to take a number of years to complete. An implementation plan and timetable for remediation remains subject to the outcome of upcoming public consultation and public finance approvals. The public consultation will give all interested parties the opportunity to comment on the draft optimum remediation strategy. In the meantime, the Department will continue its comprehensive environmental monitoring programme. Following consultation, the responses will be considered and my Department will determine any necessary amendments to the draft strategy. <BR /> <BR />I visited the site a number of years ago and I know the concerns in the community in relation to the matter.”
“In addition, there are significant iterative processes to review and business cases to assess before they are considered by the DAERA casework committee. That has not taken place. There is, therefore, no agreed preferred option, and there will not be one until consultations are fully completed and, informed by that, updated options are developed and presented for the next stages of scrutiny and approval.”
“Thirdly, a range of approval processes must be carried out to ensure that any remediation proposals are both technically sound and cost-effective, including consultation with Executive colleagues and, most importantly, the Department of Finance in relation to affordability. Those processes can only move forward following the results of a public consultation. <BR /> <BR />Work has been undertaken by consultants on the potential costs and will inform a draft outline business case. I am aware that one of the options contains remediation costs of £107 million, which, on a point in time estimate, are subject to significant change to the technical development and the timescales over which any remediation might take place. I am conscious that the costs could be much more than that.”
“To date, my Department does not have a cost estimate that has been assessed and approved through the required public finance processes, such as an approved business case. There are several reasons for that. First, my Department continues to pursue the perpetrators of this environmental crime through ongoing criminal proceedings. Secondly, my Department will shortly issue a public consultation on a range of remediation options for the site. The views of stakeholders are hugely important to me, and I want to ensure that those views are taken into account in the remediation options chosen. Hence, it is not possible to confirm stable costing now.”
“A detailed risk assessment, drawing on intensive site investigations and seven years of monitoring, has provided the foundation for the development of the remediation strategy. I intend to issue the draft strategy for consultation within the next two months. <BR /> <BR />My officials are in regular contact with local stakeholders, including elected and community representatives and young people, to keep them informed and help develop a future site vision to secure a positive environmental outcome for all at the Mobuoy site.”
“To that end, my officials are delivering a comprehensive environmental monitoring programme, which includes detailed monitoring using international quality standards of on-site groundwater and surface water in partnership with Northern Ireland Water and through monitoring of the River Faughan. Quality reports are freely available on the DAERA website. I am advised that, to date, there has been no adverse impact on the safety of the drinking water supplied from the River Faughan. <BR /> <BR />My Department appointed an integrated consultancy team to develop a draft optimum remediation strategy, in line with best practice. That strategy to deliver long-term remediation of the site is based on the best balance of environmental, social and economic factors.”
“The environmental crime that was committed at Mobuoy is simply appalling. Huge quantities of polluting waste materials were unlawfully deposited adjacent to the River Faughan, a special area of conservation, and 2 kilometres upstream of Northern Ireland Water's drinking abstraction point. My Department is committed to pursuing the perpetrators of such crime through ongoing proceedings, including, where possible, ensuring that the polluter pays through confiscation under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. <BR /> <BR />Safeguarding public health, ensuring safe drinking water and reducing the environmental impact of this crime is paramount.”
“<BR /> <BR />The migration advisory committee has indicated that the findings of that inquiry were due to be published in spring 2024 but that that may be delayed until the summer, given that it is now under time constraints to complete a rapid review of the new immigration shortage list. I will continue to meet and work with representatives from businesses that use that visa route so that I can understand their needs. I await the publication of MAC's recommendations, and I hope that those will subsequently allow the Home Office to provide clarity on the future of that visa route post-2024 and give our stakeholders the certainty that they need.”
“I am very aware of the issue and its impact on the industry. In March 2023, the migration advisory committee announced that it would undertake a self-commissioned inquiry of the seasonal worker route. My Department's officials submitted a response to the call for evidence, and, by engaging closely with Northern Ireland stakeholders, significant opportunity has been afforded to local businesses that utilise that route to be part of the review process. That included supporting them in organising a stakeholder engagement event with Professor Brian Bell in September 2023 and subsequent individual site visits and interviews with MAC officials in January 2024.”
“I am aware of the issue that the Member refers to. At this moment, I outline that, as Minister, my approach to EU exit will be different to what has gone before. I intend to implement the law. To me, respecting the law is important. I believe in upholding the ministerial code in word and deed. I also want to focus on working with others to find solutions. I will focus on that issue in the time ahead. I am not focused on deliberately enlarging problems. I am focused on solutions. My task at hand, and this is what I intend to do, is to make the job of managing EU exit exceedingly boring. We have had far too much drama. What we need is delivery.”
“I thank the Member for her question. I would be delighted to do that. On Wednesday, I will visit Portavogie harbour, and, on Thursday, I am provisionally set to meet representatives from the Northern Ireland Fishermen's Federation. I look forward to the motion that will be brought to the House on, I understand, Tuesday.”