Andrew Muir: ‘Keyboard warriors' who posted homophobic slurs and death threat ‘won't intimidate me'

Belfast Telegraph

2 days ago

It was in the days following the publication of plans by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to tackle water pollution that the Alliance MLA received a deluge of online abuse.
And while he says there remains an open police investigation into one death threat, Mr Muir said what really impacted him were the online attacks on colleagues and staff members.
'To see comments on social media about them which are derogatory and misogynistic has really, really depressed me… a small minority are incapable of a respectful dialog around what is a key policy issue in Northern Ireland,' he told Ulster Business.
After taking up the post as Agriculture Minister in early 2024, the devastation of Lough Neagh became a clear crisis point for him, and the wider Executive.
And with blue-green algae returning once again this year, Mr Muir said not only is tackling the issue something we can do 'but we must' describing it as the 'biggest environmental catastrophe in Northern Ireland'.
'Not only are we seeing the collapse of nature and biodiversity, but 40% of our drinking water comes from Lough Neagh,' he said.
And on water quality in general, he said the problems are 'not just Lough Neagh… we're decades in the making, and we're all going to be decades in the fixing'.
'… there's a broad sphere of infrastructure we need to invest in, and that needs to be taken forward as part of an investment strategy for Northern Ireland, which is still waiting for publication,' he said.
Then, this year, the minister released a consultation into his Nutrients Action Plan. This iteration aims to tackle water quality, linked to Lough Neagh, including reducing phosphorus levels.
The wider agri sector has since expressed its own concerns and warned it could have major consequences for many farmers here.
'I understand the concern expressed by key actors within the agri food sector, and also the complexity of the proposals that are out for consultation,' Mr Muir said.
'I would reiterate again, these are draft proposals. No final decision has been taken, and this is a consultation.
'I also want to reiterate my commitment to setting up a small stakeholder group once the consultation closes, for us to consider the responses and to map a way forward together.
'What we have to do is we have to navigate a way forward which improves water quality in Northern Ireland, but also delivers that successful and sustainable future for agriculture.'
The Minister had been urged to withdraw the current public consultation on the Nutrients Action Programme 2026-29, which finished at the end of July, with the Assembly backing a motion opposing the current proposals.
On the Minister's Climate Action Plan – which he hopes could go before the Executive next year – Mr Muir said 'we need to do more to improve our environment, but we do that by bringing together financial and environmental sustainability, because both go hand-in-hand'.
'Agriculture and farming go in harmony with the environment,' he says. 'That's how it is successful.
'In terms of agriculture, we have got a success story to tell as part of the Climate Action Plan, which is in terms of farming and agriculture coming forward with smarter and more productive ways of working, which deliver profitability but also reduce those greenhouse gas emissions.
'… there's more to do. I know there's more to do, but I've seen people who are up for that challenge and understand that going together on this, by working with our department and working with agri-food sector, we can deliver a successful future ahead.'
Turning to the recent decision on the long-awaited A5 roads upgrade – whereby a green light was quashed by a court as it would breach a legislative goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions, outlined in the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, Mr Muir said:
'It will take a while for it to be considered full, and obviously it's primarily a matter for the Infrastructure Minister,' he said.
'My initial view of this is that there's a variety of issues in the judgment, which we're going to take time to walk through [them].
'But we just need to take a broader perspective on this – the first is… the thoughts are with the families of those people [killed on the road].
'And secondly, that we shouldn't lose sight of the impact of the collapse of these institutions with the climate change legislation, when it was passed.
'If these institutions had been sitting, we would have been very well down in terms of the road and taking action on climate change.'
Renewable generation remains a hot topic here. We're supposed to be hitting the 80% mark by 2030 but are actually generating less green energy – some 43% – than we were a year ago.
So, and I've asked this question to other ministers – is that figure completely unrealistic?
'We've got a number of targets to meet, and our road to net zero,' Mr Muir said. 'They are challenging, but they wouldn't be proper targets if they weren't challenging, and this requires a whole Executive approach.
'So, while I have lead responsibility for climate change, it requires other sectors and other ministers to step up and deliver upon that.'
He said that includes a faster and more agile planning system, and dealing with our grid capacity. He says a hiatus on the Stormont Executive for two years also impacted wider decision-making here.
And on the online abuse which he received – including a death threat – Mr Muir said he will 'not be intimidated'.
'I really am appalled to see those comments, the comments in relation to myself and then the death threat to myself are disconcerting – yes – but I'll not be intimidated by that,' he said.
'Since the day and hour I came in as minister, I've been welcomed by many [people] across Northern Ireland into their homes. We've had respectful dialog, and that's the farming community I know, and this social media commentary does not reflect the people I know.
'Also, many people within agri food, professional leaders, who have reached out to me on a personal basis to express their abhorence to that.
'That's the Northern Ireland I know. That's the Northern Ireland I love, and the keyboard warriors do not reflect that.'
Mr Muir also received a death threat, which he says is 'now under active investigation by police'.
'This seems to be a trait that people feel is acceptable to post stuff online… which is threatening... I'm very thankful for the police and the response.'