In my capacity as Sinn Féin agriculture spokesperson, I welcome the opportunity to make some brief points. The Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee received a briefing from departmental officials on the Department's budget. I note that the Department's approach is to protect core front-line services as much as possible. I will highlight some of the challenges that agriculture faces and the fact that they are considerable.

Brexit has been a particular challenge. The EU common agricultural policy, although nobody suggested that it was perfect, provided funding certainty, through a seven-year multi-annual budget. Courtesy of Brexit, however, we do not have that financial certainty at this point. In addition, Brexit delivered a huge cut to rural funding. The ring-fenced budget for rural funding ended in December 2023. That funding had brought stability and certainty to rural communities. It provided the seven-year multi-annual budget for services and business development in local communities. There has been a reduction in the spend on the tackling rural poverty and social isolation (TRPSI) programme in this financial year. Our party wants to see the TRPSI programme retained and adequately financed.

Most of the budget is ring-fenced for farm support payments, and I welcome DAERA officials' confirmation of a farm support budget of £332·5 million for 2024-25. Despite that being welcome for this year, there is no clarity on a farm support budget beyond 2024-25. Our farmers and local food producers therefore have no certainty beyond that date.

We, as a party, want to see farm support continue, and a multi-year ring-fenced budget must be returned post-2024-25. Otherwise, a cliff edge will be created for our farmers and primary producers.

An issue of major financial concern is the bovine tuberculosis (bTB) eradication programme. Officials highlighted that the bTB programme costs £10·4 million and that, in 2022-23, £38 million in compensation was paid, which was up from £19·5 million in 2019-2020. Too many farms are impacted by bTB at present. If we can get control of the disease, it should free up money to support other aspects of farming. Indeed, the threats by the British Secretary of State, Chris Heaton-Harris, to impose new charges on farmers for bovine TB testing and make future cuts to compensation payments for TB are punitive.

In conclusion, farmers in rural communities are in the eye of the storm. Brexit, which I mentioned earlier, has had a huge impact. We have also witnessed climate change, —

The Member's time is up.

— and global issues such as war have had an inflationary impact on costs.