Latest news with #NutrientsActionPlan
Belfast Telegraph
12 hours ago
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
‘No place for homophobia, racism, or misogyny': Michelle O'Neill brands abuse targeted at agriculture minister ‘disgraceful'
Mr Muir told the Assembly on Tuesday that he and his department had been the target of 'vile' homophobic, racist and misogynistic comments on social media over his department's proposed Nutrients Action Programme. Posting on social media on Wednesday morning, Ms O'Neill said: 'The online abuse directed at Minister Andrew Muir and staff in his department is disgraceful. 'There must always be space for open and honest debate on policy, but there is absolutely no place for homophobia, racism, or misogyny. 'I urge people to engage constructively in the political process: to shape policy, improve it, and make it work for farmers, our environment, and Lough Neagh.' In the Assembly on Tuesday, Mr Muir was pressed to abandon the proposed plan for 2026-29 which is currently out for consultation during questions for his department. He was warned the proposals, aimed at improving water quality and the wider environment by reducing and preventing pollution caused or induced by nutrients from agricultural sources, could destroy the farming industry. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Opponents to the plan have argued that the measures currently proposed could devastate agriculture, reduce livestock numbers and undermine food security. They have called on Mr Muir to bring forward a policy based on genuine partnership rather than punitive policies which risk the viability of our agricultural industry. A petition set up by DUP MLA Michelle McIlveen calling for the plan to be scrapped had been signed by more than 1,800 people by Tuesday afternoon. Mr Muir told MLAs there is a requirement arising from the Lough Neagh Action Plan and also the Environmental Improvement Plan to review the Nutrients Action Plan. He said it is about ensuring both financial and environmental sustainability, and emphasised they are currently undertaking a consultation on draft proposals, and that no final decisions have been taken. Mr Muir also expressed concern that there is 'a lot of misinformation' around the proposals, and said the social media commentary around the plan in recent weeks has been disgraceful'. 'There's been misogynistic comments against officials in my department,' he said. 'There's been racist comments in relation to people that we are very, very fortunate to have working within our agri-food sector. 'And not for a very long time have I seen such vile homophobic comments about myself. I am a gay man, and I am proud to be a gay man, and it has no relevance whatsoever to the Nutrients Action Programme nor my ability to do this job.' The consultation on the revised Nutrients Action Programme 2026-2029 is set to continue to July 24 2025.
Belfast Telegraph
a day ago
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
NI minister slams ‘vile homophobic, racist and misogynistic' comments on social media over Nutrients Action Programme
Andrew Muir was pressed to abandon the proposed plan for 2026-29 which is currently out for consultation during questions for his department in the Assembly on Tuesday. He was warned the proposals, aimed at improving water quality and the wider environment by reducing and preventing pollution caused or induced by nutrients from agricultural sources, could destroy the farming industry. Opponents to the plan have argued that the measures currently proposed could devastate agriculture, reduce livestock numbers and undermine food security. They have called on Mr Muir to bring forward a policy based on genuine partnership rather than punitive policies which risk the viability of our agricultural industry Mr Muir told MLAs there is a requirement arising from the Lough Neagh Action Plan and also the Environmental Improvement Plan to review the Nutrients Action Plan. He said it is about ensuring both financial and environmental sustainability, and emphasised they are currently undertaking a consultation on draft proposals, and that no final decisions have been taken. Mr Muir also expressed concern that there is 'a lot of misinformation' around the proposals, and said the social media commentary around the plan in recent weeks has been disgraceful'. 'There's been misogynistic comments against officials in my department,' he said. 'There's been racist comments in relation to people that we are very, very fortunate to have working within our agri-food sector. 'And not for a very long time have I seen such vile homophobic comments about myself. I am a gay man, and I am proud to be a gay man, and it has no relevance whatsoever to the Nutrients Action Programme nor my ability to do this job.' The consultation on the revised Nutrients Action Programme 2026-2029 is set to continue to July 24 2025.
Belfast Telegraph
a day ago
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
NI minister slams ‘vile homophobic, racist and misogynistic' on social media over Nutrients Action Programme
Northern Ireland's agriculture minister has slammed 'vile homophobic, racist and misogynistic' comments on social media in opposition to his department's proposed Nutrients Action Programme. Andrew Muir was pressed to abandon the proposed plan for 2026-29 which is currently out for consultation during questions for his department in the Assembly on Tuesday. He was warned the proposals, aimed at improving water quality and the wider environment by reducing and preventing pollution caused or induced by nutrients from agricultural sources, could destroy the farming industry. Opponents to the plan have argued that the measures currently proposed could devastate agriculture, reduce livestock numbers and undermine food security. They have called on Mr Muir to bring forward a policy based on genuine partnership rather than punitive policies which risk the viability of our agricultural industry Mr Muir told MLAs there is a requirement arising from the Lough Neagh Action Plan and also the Environmental Improvement Plan to review the Nutrients Action Plan. He said it is about ensuring both financial and environmental sustainability, and emphasised they are currently undertaking a consultation on draft proposals, and that no final decisions have been taken. Mr Muir also expressed concern that there is 'a lot of misinformation' around the proposals, and said the social media commentary around the plan in recent weeks has been disgraceful'. 'There's been misogynistic comments against officials in my department,' he said. 'There's been racist comments in relation to people that we are very, very fortunate to have working within our agri-food sector. 'And not for a very long time have I seen such vile homophobic comments about myself. I am a gay man, and I am proud to be a gay man, and it has no relevance whatsoever to the Nutrients Action Programme nor my ability to do this job.' The consultation on the revised Nutrients Action Programme 2026-2029 is set to continue to July 24 2025.
Agriland
5 days ago
- Business
- Agriland
MP: ‘Farmers have been crippled by bureaucracy'
The DUP's agriculture spokesperson, Carla Lockhart has called for the Department of Agriculture, Enterprise and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to engage with industry over the Nutrients Action Plan (NAP). Speaking at the NAP information event at the Greenmount Campus, Co. Antrim this week (May 2025), the MP said the Minister for Agriculture, Enterprise and Rural affairs, Andrew Muir is 'not willing to face farmers or listen to their concerns'. She said: 'These proposals will decimate the very cornerstone of our economy. The gross output from NI agriculture is worth £2.87 billion (€3.4 billion), but the minister is on course to destroy it. 'Potentially, NAP will have a bigger impact on family farms than inheritance tax. The minister risks leaving a trail of destruction as a lasting legacy of his term at the helm of DAERA.' 'The message is clear, the proposals are unacceptable and unachievable. Tensions are running high, farmers are being pushed to the brink, and the meeting is a nail in the coffin for the NAP proposals,' Lockhart added. MP Carla Lockhart The DUP MP said she supports farmers, and that she will continue to speak out against the NAP proposals. 'Farmers work 365 days a year to put fully traceable and nutritious food on our tables, yet they have been crippled by bureaucracy and used as scapegoats for far too long. Enough is enough,' Lockhart said. 'The livelihoods of over 3,500 farm businesses are at stake, especially those in the dairy, pig and poultry sectors,' she claimed. According to the MP, civil servants should go out and visit farms to 'witness' the daily struggles faced by the farming community. She explained: 'Farmers are custodians of the land and vital for thriving rural communities. They are not shying away from their environmental responsibilities. The general consensus is that NAP is disproportionate and severely out of touch with reality 'I stand united with farmers and the wider agri-food supply chain as they call for a stop to the NAP consultation. It's time to refocus and go back to the drawing board.' 'The figures are questionable and we've heard very little in the way of credible answers today. DAERA needs to stop flying solo and learn to engage with stakeholders and farmers who are the experts on the ground,' she added.
