UFU Deputy President William Irvine on his County Armagh farm. Picture: Cliff Donaldson
The Ulster Farmers’ Union has today expressed its deep frustration at misinformation being circulated regarding the Nutrient Action Programme (NAP) stakeholder task and finish group. Claims have been made that the group is “working well” but it has not been officially launched.
UFU president William Irvine has called for clarity on the situation.
“The deliberate sharing of misinformation about the NAP task and finish group must be called out. The group is not yet operating despite what has been said about it ‘working well’.
“We have not received a draft of the terms of reference, a chairperson has not been confirmed and no dates have been set for future meetings. The Minister said the group would be established with urgency but so far, this has not been the case.
“We are also concerned that the Minister has only offered three seats to the UFU on the stakeholder group, despite the size and range of sectors we represent. On similar groups, the UFU has previously had four or five seats, which is a more accurate and fair representation,” said Mr Irvine.
When the UFU does receive the terms of reference, it’s UFU environment committee will carefully consider, before any decisions are made on participating in future meetings.
Subject to agreeable terms of reference, the next stage in the NAP process should be allowing space and time for the group to operate properly.
