Oral Answers to Questions — Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs – in the Northern Ireland Assembly am 3:15 pm ar 19 Chwefror 2024.
T4. Mr K Buchanan asked the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, after welcoming him and telling him that he has done well so far, albeit he has a few minutes to go, to provide an update on the rural development policy framework, which will overtake the rural development programme. (AQT 14/22-27)
I was conscious, on taking up office, that some people refer to me as "the Minister of Agriculture", so I usually finish that sentence with, "Environment and Rural Affairs". Sometimes, rural affairs has been second fiddle to the rest of the Department. I am keen to see how we can move forward. The development programme is one part of it, and there is the associated grant support.
Also, I am aware of the powers in the Rural Needs Act (Northern Ireland) 2016, and I question whether it really has significant teeth, because it just refers to "due regard". I will engage with officials in the time ahead to help me scope out my priorities for rural affairs and rural development. This is week 3 for me in the Department. I usually try to get six or seven hours' sleep a night. I will return to the issue later this week.
Thank you for that answer. I appreciate your response and a Minister who answers the question.
In the past, a lot of rural groups have received rural hall funding or micro grants. Will the Minister look at that funding, because it is vital for our communities? There are few grants that those groups can get to remain operational, so if you could follow up on rural micro grants, which, I think, the Speaker implemented when he was Minister, that would be great.
I thank the Member for his question. I have asked my officials for more guidance on that to see how we can progress it. I am aware of how the funding goes through, and you have acknowledged the value of that. In my Department, money can go much further, and the opportunities and benefits for rural communities can be significant. I have already got a query in with my officials to see what more we can do about that.
We also need to look at rural affairs in a wider sphere and recognise not only the isolation that can be felt but the sense of community. We can bind communities together and address the isolation that is often felt in rural communities. A particular challenge for me as Minister is how I engage with them and, most especially, with the farming community so that we can break down barriers and misperceptions and bring people together.