Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee

Minutes of Proceedings - 25 September 2025

Present:

Robbie Butler MLA (Chairperson)

Declan McAleer MLA (Deputy Chairperson)

John Blair MLA

Aoife Finnegan MLA

William Irwin MLA

Daniel McCrossan MLA

Michelle McIlveen MLA

Via Zoom:

Apologies:

Tom Buchanan MLA

Áine Murphy MLA

In Attendance:

Dr Janice Thompson, Assembly Clerk

Glenda Doherty, Senior Assistant Assembly Clerk

Nick Faulkner, Assistant Assembly Clerk

Michael Greer, Clerical Supervisor

The meeting opened in Public Session at 10:26am

1. Apologies

As noted above.

2. Declaration of Interests

The Chair reminded Members of their responsibility to declare any interests in any of the items under discussion.

Declan McAleer MLA declared that he is an executor of a small farm in Co Tyrone.

William Irwin MLA declared an interest as a partner in a farm business.

3. Chairperson's Business

The Chair referred to a letter, dated 17 September, from Cathy Mason MLA regarding the impact of Bovine TB (bTB) on the South Down farming community and requesting the Committee hear evidence from farmers affected by bTB.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to add to its Forward Work Plan to hear evidence from farmers affected by bTB.

The Chair referred to correspondence, dated 18 September, from Chris Hazzard MP for South Down regarding the impact of Bovine TB on the South Down farming community.

The Chair summarised the recent scrutiny the Committee has undertaken to date and noted Bovine TB is a topic in which it has taken a keen interest and is aware of the devastating impact it has had on the farming community and that it is a matter that remains on its agenda.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Committee team would draft a note detailing Committee scrutiny and work on this matter to date and to consider next steps at the meeting on 2nd October.

The Chair referred to correspondence, dated 18 September, from the Department regarding the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Bill, which the UK Government introduced to the House of Commons on 9 September and is seeking consent for clauses that relate to devolved matters.

The Committee noted an updated Legislative Consent Memorandum will be laid in the Assembly once the Department's analysis of devolved matters is complete and the Executive has agreed a draft legislative consent motion. The Committee noted the Department will provide a further update in due course.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note.

4. Minutes

The Minutes of the meeting on 18 September 2025 were agreed and signed by the Chair to be published.

Agreed: The Minutes were agreed.

5. Matters Arising

The Committee considered the response from the Department, dated 23 September, to its query regarding paper-based alternatives to the Northern Ireland Food Animal Information System (NIFAIS) that Marts can use in the event of an IT outage.

The Committee noted that the response stated that Marts can avail of the paper-based MC2 system.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note.

The Committee considered the response from the Department, dated 24 September, regarding queries concerning the NIEA Fees and Charges Inflationary Uplift 2025-2026.

The NIEA provided an update on its planning performance and the issues it faces regarding staffing resources and high number of consultations being received. The Committee noted that the 65% response rate for planning consultations received, as reported to it on 24 October 2024, remained unchanged for the first 5 months of this year.

The Committee noted that NIEA will brief it on its draft Planning Improvement Plan at its meeting on 6 November. A Committee Member raised the issue of slow response times and dissatisfaction at the lack of response from Shared Environmental Service (SES) to queries raised by farmers.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the correspondence and to revisit the issue at its meeting on 6 November when NIEA will brief it on its draft Planning Improvement Plan.

6. Update on Current Issues Regarding Local Waste/Odour Complaints.

The Committee noted at the previous meeting it had a closed session to discuss how to proceed regarding the odour / waste complaints.

The Committee considered a series of draft letters it had agreed to be drafted in response to concerns raised.

One to the NIEA seeking further information on 'Protecting and restoring our terrestrial and marine environment' in the NIEA Business Plan - regarding NIEA Target Number 12;
One to all Northern Ireland Councils regarding the processes followed on odour assessments; and
One to the Shared Environmental Service (SES) in Mid and East Antrim Borough Council regarding any role it has in odour assessments done by councils or the NIEA.

The Committee also considered further information on the SES and other recent correspondence regarding waste and odour matters.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to issue the correspondence to the NIEA, all Northern Ireland Councils and the SES with the addition of processes followed and timeframes to the SES letter.

The Committee agreed to move to Agenda Item 9.

9. Departmental Oral evidence session - Waste and Resources Common Framework

This agenda item was recorded by Hansard

The following Departmental Officials briefed the Committee:

Colin Breen - Assistant Director; and
Carmel McDowell - Acting Head of Waste Legislation.

The Committee heard that the purposes of this Common Framework (CF) are to set out the governance arrangements for the devolved governments for resources and waste policy; establish the decision-making and dispute resolution process; provide the basis for managing and maintaining commonality in approach and minimum standards; enable the Parties to discuss and manage any potential policy divergence; and establish a review and amendment mechanism.

There then followed a question and answer session.

The Committee heard that the Department has no concerns about how the CF is operating as systems and legislation have been in place for some time now and there is a history of consistent collaboration and dispute avoidance resolution between the devolved governments.

The Committee also heard that the CF is a procedural mechanism and is seen as non-contentious and has already been scrutinised by the other devolved governments and no concerns were raised.

The Committee heard that the exportation of waste due to having insufficient infrastructure is an area of concern as Northern Ireland is not accessing the financial benefits derived from energy recovery.

The Chair thanked the Officials for their attendance.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to notify the Department that it has completed its scrutiny of this CF and would subsequently engage with the formal review in due course.

The Department Officials left the meeting at 11:02am

10. Departmental oral evidence session -Air Quality Common Framework

The Committee noted that the briefing has been postponed until the meeting of 16 October and agreed to move on to Agenda item 11.

The Departmental Officials joined the meeting at 11:03am

Daniel McCrossan MLA joined the meeting at 11:37am

11. SL1 The Bovine Genetics Genotyping Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025 - Oral Evidence from the Department.

This agenda item was recorded by Hansard

The following CAFRE Officials briefed the Committee:

Paul McHenry, Director;
Francis Breen, Head of Livestock Genetics and Data Branch; and
Noel Lavery, Senior Technologist, Livestock Genetics and Data Branch.

The Officials provided a high level overview of the Bovine Genetics Farm Sustainability Payment Conditionalities as a component of The Farm Sustainability Standards Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025, which the Committee will be briefed on at its next meeting.

The Officials also provided an overview of the Bovine Genetics Project which is one of the key components of the Farm Support and Development Programme.

The Project, in partnership with the agri-food industry, is delivered through a not-for-profit company, Sustainable Ruminant Genetics Ltd (SRG). It aims to deliver improvements in both environmental performance and productivity of animals in the bovine livestock sectors, by providing farmers with the data and evidence necessary to breed more efficient, healthier animals with lower carbon footprints and lower pollution potential.

The Committee was then briefed on the SL1 The Bovine Genetics Genotyping Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025. The Committee heard The Department intends to make this SR under the negative resolution procedure to provide it with the legal powers to implement the Bovine Genetics Genotyping Scheme.

A question and answer session followed.

The Committee heard that it is anticipated the £13 per animal will cover farmers' costs and the scheme will be voluntary with no anticipated future impact on the single farm payment.

The Committee heard that stakeholders raised concerns in relation to communications and was advised that the SRG will increase this in the next few months in advance of the introduction of the Scheme.

The Committee were broadly supportive of the scheme, but some Members had concerns regarding communication of the scheme and the connections to conditionality and that if it became compulsory in the future it may impact on farm payments.

The Chair thanked the Officials for their attendance.

Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Department to conduct further scrutiny before returning to reconsider the SL1 at a later date. The letter to include:

a flowchart setting out each step of the proposed scheme and showing the impact of joining the scheme versus opting out and any changes to the payments and cross compliance regime;
how the Department is planning to communicate with older farmers; and
details of engagement with the APSG and other stakeholders any details of concerns raised.

The Departmental Officials left at 11:54am

Michelle McIlveen MLA left the meeting at 11:56am

The meeting was suspended at 11:57am

The meeting resumed at 12:09pm

The Committee agreed to go into closed session with the Examiner of Statutory Rules (ESR) to take advice regarding matters concerning the SR The Agricultural Schemes (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025.

The meeting went into closed session at 12:11am

7. Oral Evidence from the ESR (Closed)

The meeting resumed in open session at 12:18pm

8. SL1 - The Agricultural Schemes (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025.

The Committee noted that it was briefed on the SL1 by Officials at its meeting of 18 September and that the SR is to be made under section 5(2B), 6(1)(f) and 9 of the Agriculture Act (Northern Ireland) 1949.

Upon review of The Horticulture Pilot Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025, the ESRnoted that a number of other Regulations would also need amendment.

The Committee noted last week it agreed to wait until it heard from the ESR before it considered if it agreed that the Department proceed to make the SR. The Committee noted that the ESR is content with the approach of the Department in this instance.

The Committee noted that responses to queries it raised at the briefing from the Official last week have not yet been received but the Committee had sufficient confidence to agree the SR be made.

Agreed: The Committee agreed that the Department proceeds to make the SR and will then consider it in due course.

The RaISe Official joined the meeting at 12:19pm

12. Dilapidation Bill - Oral Evidence session - Research and Information Service (RaISe)

This agenda item was recorded by Hansard

The following RaISe Official briefed the Committee

Suzie Cave

The Committee was given an overview of the Bill, with areas highlighted within the Bill which may merit further consideration and, where relevant, compared similar provisions within GB and Ireland.

A question and answer session followed.

The Committee raised concerns with collaboration due to the cross-departmental nature of the Bill and queried whether the legislation will give councils sufficient powers. Concerns were also raised that it may not provide a uniform approach as each council has discretion in the application of the legislation and councils may not have insufficient resources available.

Members were also concerned that the legislation may lead to a disparity between urban and rural areas and raised queries regarding the legislation sitting with DAERA and not the Department for Communities.

The Chair thanked the RaISe Official for her attendance.

The RaISe Official left the meeting at 1pm

13. Departmental Written Briefing - Update on the Outcome of the Consultation on the Introduction of Mandatory CCTV in Slaughterhouses in Northern Ireland and the Proposed Way Forward

The Committee noted that the consultation proposed that mandatory CCTV coverage could deter animal abuse; be a useful training tool for good practice; and facilitate the study of movement and behaviours of animals throughout the stages of slaughter.

The Committee noted that it would also ensure parity of standards across the UK as it is already in effect in England, Scotland, and Wales.

The Committee noted the majority of respondents were in agreement that CCTV should be mandatory in areas where live animals are present; that the footage should be retained for 90 days; with unrestricted access to the footage for authorised persons; that guidelines should mirror the rules in place in GB to ensure consistency and; a transition period should be provided from when the legislation comes into force.