Latest news with #NutrientsActionProgramme
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Alliance leader says abuse ‘unacceptable' as colleague targeted
Alliance Party leader Naomi Long has described homophobic abuse that one of party colleagues was subjected to as 'despicable'. Earlier this week Stormont Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir said he had experienced 'vile homophobic comments' and spoke out about misogynistic remarks directed at some of his officials, as well as racism against workers in the agri-food sector recently on social media. It comes during heated opposition from the farming community to Mr Muir's proposed Nutrients Action Programme 2026-2029 which is currently out for consultation. Mr Muir has been urged to scrap the proposals which are aimed at improving water quality and the wider environment by reducing and preventing pollution caused or induced by nutrients from agricultural sources. Opponents say the proposals could devastate agriculture, reduce livestock numbers and undermine food security. Speaking to media in Belfast on Wednesday, Ms Long urged constructive engagement around policy. 'I think it's despicable that any politician in any role is subjected to the kind of abuse, threat, intimidation that we see commonplace now being directed at politicians, and what Andrew has been subjected to in particular is appalling and unacceptable,' she said. 'People have a right to disagree with Andrew's policy, they have a right to disagree with his direction of travel as minister, they do not have a right to harass, intimidate, threaten and abuse him, and there needs to be a clear line drawn between the two. 'A constructive engagement around policy, around practice, is entirely reasonable. Abuse is unacceptable.' Speaking in the Assembly on Tuesday, Mr Muir contended there is 'a lot of misinformation' around the proposals, adding that social media commentary 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.' Disappointment was expressed at the social media comments referred to across the chamber, including from Opposition leader Matthew O'Toole, Sinn Fein MLA Aoife Finnegan, UUP MLA Robbie Butler and DUP MLA Trevor Clarke, who said opposition to the programme 'should not be personalised against anyone'.
Belfast Telegraph
2 days 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.
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Ulster Farmers Union ‘not ruling out legal action' over proposed Nutrients Action Programme
The Ulster Farmers Union (UFU) has said it is not ruling out potential legal action over a proposed Nutrients Action Programme. Officials from the representative body said its president William Irvine led a delegation during a 'robust' meeting with Stormont Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir on Tuesday raising 'serious concerns' about the proposals.
Belfast Telegraph
3 days 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.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Muir hits out at pollution plan 'misinformation'
Stormont's agriculture minister has hit out at what he has called "misinformation" over his department's plans to reduce water pollution which have faced criticism from some in the agri-food sector. Northern Ireland's long-overdue Nutrients Action Programme (NAP) for 2026-29 was published for consultation last month. Many of the proposals are linked to the Lough Neagh Action Plan. Some political parties and farming unions have argued the plans are out of touch with the reality of agriculture. But on Tuesday, Andrew Muir said they were draft proposals with final decisions yet to be taken. Speaking in the Assembly the minister also criticised as "disgraceful" recent commentary on social media about the issue. "I have seen misogynistic comments against officials in my department, there have been racist comments in relation to people that we are very, very fortunate to have working in our agri-food sector. "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 minister went on to say: "Some of the comments made towards me - I'm thick enough to be able to take that, it was shocking and I have not seen something like that since the 1990s, but some of the comments for example in terms of foreign nationals working in agri-food, I just thought that was beneath contempt and I think it's important we call this out here. "We can have a rational discussion around these things but we should not descend into that, and some of the comments against officials are wrong." The leader of the Opposition, SDLP assembly member Matthew O'Toole said it was "utterly disgusting" and the minister had the opposition's support in calling it out, while the DUP's Gary Middleton said the social media comments against the minister and his officials were unacceptable. Farmers say NI pollution proposals 'out of touch'
