Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (AERA), Andrew Muir, has been told that he must go back to the drawing board in terms of developing a Nutrients Action Plan (NAP) for Northern Ireland.
This is according to Declan McAleer, the deputy chair of Northern Ireland’s AERA Committee.
Speaking after a Stormont Assembly debate on the new NAP regulations, McAleer said that the agriculture minister has put the cart before the horse.
McAleer added: “There is talk of a stakeholder group being formed to review the outcome of the now ongoing NAP public consultation.
“Getting the fundamental view of these bodies before going public with any package of proposals should have been the course of action taken in the first place.
“And that’s what should happen now. The farm minister should bring the current public consultation to an end with immediate effect and start again.”
The Sinn Féin politician also believes that many of the current NAP proposals are not for purpose.
He explained: “They give little recognition to the steps that have been taken on farms across the north to prove water quality.
“All farmers want water of the highest quality – both for their own personal use while also meeting the needs of their stock.
“Looking ahead, the proposed NAP arrangements foresee the use of low emission slurry spreading equipment on all farms by 2029.
“But the reality is that small farm businesses in places like the Sperrins will not be able to fund an investment of this type from their own pockets.”
According to McAleer, this “brings up the issue of effective support being made available” to ensure the proper implementation of any NAP proposals that are eventually agreed upon.
“Farmers have a vital role to play in protecting our waterways and need to be properly supported to do that,” he said.
McAleer indicated that the Stormont Assembly had sent a clear message by voting to reject the minister’s plan and to call for meaningful engagement with the farming community.
“The current NAP proposals are not fit for purpose. The timelines currently set out are very difficult for many farmers to meet and the necessary supports are absent,” the AERA Committee deputy chair said.
“Sinn Féin has raised these concerns directly with department of agriculture officials and we will continue to make the case for a just transition whereby the department properly engages with farmers, carries out proper impact assessments and supports farmers to reduce pollution.”
