The Stormont assembly is to be asked to reverse the relaxation of sanctions against farmers who break environmental rules.
Edwin Poots reduced the penalties imposed for so-called cross-compliance breaches in 2022 while acting as caretaker agriculture and environment minister.
During the suspension of the institutions caused by the DUP’s boycott, The Irish News revealed how he used a mechanism known as a statutory rule, which could only be annulled by a sitting assembly.
The then Lagan Valley MLA, who is now assembly speaker, was accused at the time of “avoiding democratic scrutiny” by putting a 15 per cent upper limit on penalties subtracted from farmers’ subsidies for cross-compliance breaches.
Water quality in Northern Ireland’s rivers and lakes, including Lough Neagh, has deteriorated over recent decades, with pollution from agriculture cited among the main causes.
MLAs will have an opportunity to begin the reversal of Mr Poots’ controversial move on Tuesday when the assembly is asked to vote on a motion – known as a ‘prayer of annulment’ – tabled by the chair of the agriculture, environment and rural affairs committee Robbie Butler.
Oh and would that Edwin Poots, former Minister for Agriculture who reduce the maximum fine payable by farmers for polluting the environment by 85% be the same Edwin Poots who appears to own three different farms, bits of farmland at Crossan, Lisnastraen and Growell in N.I? 🤔 https://t.co/IoA84UxnC4
— Feargal Sharkey (@Feargal_Sharkey) February 16, 2024
The committee last week rejected for the second time in as many months efforts by Mr Poots’ successor Andrew Muir to overturn the relaxations.
Only Mr Muir’s Alliance colleague John Blair was supportive of reverting to the previous penalty regime.
However, last May all parties on Belfast City Council bar the DUP supported a Green Party motion calling for stronger fines for repeated agricultural pollution.
Mr Muir told The Irish News he hoped the same parties that supported the motion at council level would back him in the assembly next week.
“This relaxation in penalties was introduced without a sitting assembly, and the reason there was no sitting assembly was due to the DUP,” he said.
“I found that move by my predecessor entirely wrong – if you’re making laws as a minister, you should be open to scrutiny from the assembly.”
