Debate resumed on motion:

That this Assembly believes that investment in new and replacement farm buildings is essential to improving agriculture’s environmental footprint in Northern Ireland; criticises the decision to drop the published ammonia standing advice used by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) to assess the air quality impacts associated with many planning applications; recalls that this decision was made without ministerial approval or prior consultation; notes with concern recent research conducted by KPMG on behalf of the Northern Ireland agri-food industry, which found that more stringent ammonia regulation could lead to fewer successful planning applications, a 20% to 25% decline in on-farm investment and reduce family farm incomes by up to 38% in some sectors; calls on the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to acknowledge that the investment in, and modernisation of, farm facilities will promote animal welfare and reduce future emissions; further calls on the Minister to reject policies that constrain plans to invest in and modernise farm facilities; and calls on the Minister to place the needs of primary producers and consultation with the agri-food industry at the forefront of any new ammonia strategy. — [Miss McIlveen.]