Whatโs happening?
Insatiable thirst for tea this morning. On my way to stick the kettle back on for the fourth mug. And yes. Thatโs a big aulโ mug.
Ulster Unionist Agriculture spokesperson and AERA Committee Chair Robbie Butler MLA has given a cautious welcome to the cross-border bovine TB research project announced by DAERA Minister Andrew Muir, but warned that farmers will judge it on delivery rather than funding announcements.
Robbie Butler MLA said:
"Bovine TB exacts a heavy toll on farming families in Northern Ireland, financially and emotionally, so any credible, evidence-led effort to bring it down deserves serious consideration. Cross-border co-operation of this kind is welcome in principle.
"But farmers living with repeated breakdowns, movement restrictions and mounting uncertainty will want to know what this actually changes on the ground. The Minister has spoken of transformation and regionalisation. What is missing are the measurable targets, the timelines, and a commitment to having the results independently assessed. Without those, this is an announcement, not yet a plan.
"The enhanced testing regime, including more interferon gamma testing and six-monthly skin testing, must come with the support to match. Farmers cannot be asked to carry additional operational pressure without clarity about what these measures mean for their herds.
"We should not pretend the burden here is only financial. Behind every breakdown is a family under real strain. Any TB strategy worth its name has to treat the mental health of farmers as seriously as the cost to the agri-food sector.
"I welcome that this project tackles wildlife, cattle and biosecurity together, because no single measure will solve TB on its own. The strong early engagement locally, with the great majority of farmers already co-operating, shows the goodwill is there to build on. That goodwill has to be earned and kept. Farmers and their private vets need a genuine hand in shaping and judging these measures, not a consultation after the decisions are taken.
"In the end, confidence won't be won by headlines or funding figures. It will be won, or lost, on whether this delivers fair, practical and measurable progress for the people living with bovine TB every day."
๐ ฟ๏ธ The Hospital Parking Charges Bill has passed into law.
๐๏ธ The date for the 2022 Act to be put in place must be no later than 12 May 2029.
๐ Full info: https://t.co/Bkepz1Rnfb