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.]

Ladies and gentlemen, we now go back to the motion in the Order Paper on promoting on-farm investment. I will put the Question again.

Question put. The Assembly divided:

<SPAN STYLE="font-style:italic;"> Ayes 50; Noes 18

AYES

Mr Allister, Dr Archibald, Mr Baker, Mr Beattie, Mr Bradley, Miss Brogan, Mr Brooks, Ms Brownlee, Mr T Buchanan, Ms Bunting, Mr Butler, Mr Chambers, Mr Clarke, Mr Delargy, Mrs Dillon, Mrs Dodds, Mr Dunne, Mr Elliott, Ms Ennis, Mrs Erskine, Ms Ferguson, Ms Flynn, Ms Forsythe, Mr Frew, Mr Gildernew, Mr Givan, Miss Hargey, Mr Harvey, Mr Irwin, Mr Kelly, Ms Kimmins, Mr Kingston, Mr Lyons, Mr McAleer, Mr McGuigan, Miss McIlveen, Mr McNulty, Mrs Mason, Ms Á Murphy, Mr C Murphy, Mr Nesbitt, Ms Ní Chuilín, Mr O'Dowd, Mrs O'Neill, Miss Reilly, Mr Robinson, Mr Sheehan, Ms Sheerin, Mr Stewart, Ms Sugden

Tellers for the Ayes: Mr Brooks, Mr T Buchanan

NOES

Mr Blair, Ms Bradshaw, Mr Dickson, Mr Donnelly, Mr Durkan, Ms Egan, Mr Honeyford, Mrs Long, Miss McAllister, Ms McLaughlin, Mr McMurray, Mr McReynolds, Mr Mathison, Mr Muir, Ms Mulholland, Ms Nicholl, Mr O'Toole, Mr Tennyson

Tellers for the Noes: Ms Egan, Mr Tennyson

Question accordingly agreed to. Resolved:

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 KMPG 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.