Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
The Committee pictured shortly before the start of a meeting in room 21, Parliament Buildings.
From left to right: Patsy McGlone MLA, Michelle McIlveen MLA, Gillian Barker, Assistant Committee Clerk, Robbie Butler MLA (Chairperson), Declan McAleer MLA (Deputy Chairperson), Dr Janice Thompson, Committee Clerk, Áine Murphy MLA, John Blair, MLA
Latest News
The next meeting of the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs will take place on Thursday 12th September 2025 at 10:00am in Room 21, Parliament Buildings.
Details of upcoming meetings and agendas can be found on the Business Diary.
Interested in the future work of the Committee? View our Forward Work Programme.
Committee Membership
The current Committee membership is:
- Mr Robbie Butler, UUP (Chairperson)
- Mr Declan McAleer MLA, Sinn Féin (Deputy Chairperson)
- Mr John Blair MLA, Alliance
- Mr Tom Buchanan MLA, DUP
- Ms Aoife Finnegan MLA, Sinn Féin
- Mr William Irwin MLA, DUP
- Mr Patsy McGlone MLA, SDLP
- Miss Michelle McIlveen MLA, DUP
- Miss Áine Murphy MLA, Sinn Féin
Quick Links
- Watch Again
- Forward Work Programme
- Minutes of Proceedings
- Minutes of Evidence
- Legislation
- Reports
- Research Papers
- Press Releases
- Committee Engagement
- Guidance for witnesses appearing before a Committee and on submitting written evidence
- Committee Privacy Notice
- Work of the Committee in previous mandate
Dilapidation Bill - Have your say!
The Dilapidation Bill was formally introduced by the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs on Tuesday 23 June 2025.
The purpose of the Bill is to confer functions on district councils in connection with the dilapidation of buildings and other land.
The Bill completed its Second Stage on Tuesday 1 July 2025 and is now referred to the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for scrutiny.
As part of the Assembly’s legislative processes, the Committee will now consider and take evidence on the Bill and report its opinion to the Assembly.
To help gather your views the Committee has now launched a survey. To have your say, please complete the survey and tell us what you think about the Bill.
The closing date for responses is Friday 10 October 2025.
Further information
Agriculture Bill
The Agriculture Bill was introduced to the Northern Ireland Assembly by the Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs on 25 November 2024.
On completion of its Second Stage it was referred to the Committee for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for consideration.
As part of the Committee Stage the Committee issued a 'call for evidence' inviting people to have their say on the Bill. This was in the form of an online survey. The deadline for submissions expired on 14 February 2025.
The Committee is now considering the evidence received and will continue with its scrutiny of the Bill
Contact the Committee
Committee Clerk: Dr. Janice Thompson
Room 285, Parliament Buildings,
Ballymiscaw,Stormont,
Belfast, BT4 3XX
Tel: (028) 90 521369
Email: Committee.AgriEnvRural@niassembly.gov.uk
