11.

asked the Office of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister to outline what progress has been made on the review of public administration.

(AQO 146/02)

Since the launch of the review of public administration on 24 June, the review team has made significant progress. An initial pre-consultation process with a range of stakeholders began in late August and will conclude on 11 October 2002. That involves more than 60 meetings with representatives of local government, public bodies, health bodies, education bodies, the Civic Forum, organisations that look after the interests of public sector staff, the community and voluntary sector, rural interests, political parties and the business sector, et cetera. It is a listening exercise that will help to inform the development of a formal consultation document that will be published later this year.

The team has initiated a major programme of research. During the summer it commissioned several briefing papers on topics such as accountability, public sector reform and subsidiarity. Those papers will be made available to the public on the review team's web site by the end of the month.

Other elements of the research programme include a major exercise to map the public sector, attitudinal work and focus groups.

The Deputy First Minister has outlined some aspects of the pre-consultation process. However, when does he plan to implement the more public aspects of the consultation, as it is important that we get to that point as soon as possible? Many people who are not members of the bodies to which the Deputy First Minister referred may want to have an input.

As I have said, the team is already meeting with a range of stakeholders. It is conscious of the need for meaningful engagement with the end-users of public services and, along with a panel of experts, is actively considering the best way to carry that out at each stage of the review. At this early stage, the team is gathering initial public views through the Northern Ireland Omnibus Survey and through the establishment of a focus group project. The formal consultation will then be drafted on the basis of those initial soundings, and that should proceed on the timetable that was outlined when the review was launched in June.

I have no further requests for supplementary questions to the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister. However, as we are a little before the time assigned for questions to the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure I suggest that the House takes its leisure - culture and arts to the side - until 3.00 pm.

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Culture, Arts and Leisure

1.

asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to outline (a) the status of his football strategy and (b) when he hopes to see the strategy fully implemented.

(AQO 162/02)

In my statement to the Assembly on 25 June 2002, I called for a commitment from the Irish Football Association (IFA) to sign up to a package of measures consistent with the recommendations contained in the advisory panel's report, published in October 2001. Since then the IFA, with support from the Sports Council for Northern Ireland and in consultation with others, has been working on the preparation of a long-term development plan for the game. I understand that the plan was discussed by the IFA council on Monday 16 September 2002. I have not yet seen a copy of the development plan but look forward to seeing one in the very near future. Subject to the time frame contained in the IFA's development plan, I anticipate that implementation will take place over the next five to 10 years.

I know that we cannot second-guess or pre-empt the plan, but, if the Minister hopes to see it implemented over a five- to 10-year period, could he give us some flavour of what general progress and advances he would hope to make?

The progress which we hope to make is the development and advancement of the game. A key thing that the development plan must have is the backing of the wider football community. There must be opportunities and benefits for all levels of football. It is not simply about the international team or senior football but the sport at all levels right down to the grass roots, including boys' and women's soccer and disability sports. It is essential that it be based on fundamental principles of fairness, inclusiveness, accountability, leadership and transparency. That is the goal and the vision that we seek. The advisory panel published 150 recommendations. When I finally get the IFA's plan, I shall carefully examine it to see the correlation with our own strategy; I hope that there will be a very close match. If there is not a close match, I shall have to consider the next step.

The Minister has confirmed that there has been a delay on the part of the IFA in responding to the football strategy. Given that delay, does he feel that the football strategy can still be delivered in the reduced timescale and within the lifetime of this Assembly?

The strategic plan outlined by the panel looks far into the future for implementation. Time is getting short for an IFA decision to support the strategy, and the Member is quite right to point to the fact that the lifetime of this Assembly is drawing to a close. I asked the IFA to give me a response by September. I understand from press reports that it now has a development plan, but it has not yet given it to me. I have not seen it; the Department has not seen it. I should have thought that I might have received it by now. I look forward to getting it, at which time I shall carefully scrutinise it. I shall probably also return to the original panel to seek its advice.

One of the key things that I shall be seeking is support from the wider football family. Only if the entire football family in Northern Ireland is prepared to back the strategy can we make it work.

In commending the Minister for the initiative and drive he has shown in his football strategy, which contains a great many good and meaningful measures, I trust that the small junior football clubs will not be forgotten in any way, enabling them to survive and so provide encouragement and decent facilities for junior footballers. Such clubs are the heartbeat of soccer throughout Northern Ireland; their survival is vital for football in general to succeed.

I endorse what Mr Foster has said about junior soccer. As I said in my answer to Dr McDonnell, I see the strategy including the entire football family, with a strong concentration on youth, and on the junior and grass-roots levels as well as the senior game. A sum of £1·6 million has already been made available for youth development, which will provide opportunities for the development of centres of excellence. Nineteen centres have already been announced; there are four more to come, making a total of 23. That shows our desire to concentrate on the grass roots and develop the game not from the top down but from the ground up.

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2.

asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to provide an update on progress towards providing a new public library in Lisburn.

(AQO 160/02)

Before I answer the question, I shall take the opportunity to congratulate Lisburn and Newry on being awarded city status in the Queen's Golden Jubilee year.

When I updated the House in March, I said that the South Eastern Education and Library Board was exploring the provision of a new library for Lisburn under the private finance initiative (PFI) and that the project board had initiated the PFI procurement process. That process is continuing and is at the evaluation stage. I am pleased to say that the project is within the indicative time frame.

Although I am pleased to hear that progress is being made on the Lisburn library, we have been waiting for some 25 years for a library in the area that suits the city of Lisburn. Can the Minister give us more concrete information about when a decision will be made to offer the contract to the company involved? When will work start on the new library?

The process was initiated by another Administration. It has been a long process, and there have been difficulties about the Linen Hall site. However, the Department funded the purchase of the site, and a project board has been set up. The Department approved the outline business case in February 2001, and a PFI procurement process was initiated. That process is currently at stage 10 of the 14 stages of the process. I did not design the PFI process. It was appropriate that we continued with it as it had been started before we took office. The process appears to be nearing conclusion, and, all things being equal, the project will start in the spring of 2003. In anticipation of that, the Department has agreed to provide additional funding for the library's running costs.

At long last it seems that building work on a new library in Lisburn will start next year. However, the city of Lisburn covers a wide area, and there is also the issue of the public libraries in Moira and Dunmurry. At what stage are the plans for those two libraries?

There are several libraries in the Lagan Valley constituency, and Billy Bell has highlighted two that are in poor condition in Moira and Dunmurry. The South Eastern Education and Library Board, which is responsible for the provision of libraries, with the support of the Department, is progressing economic appraisals on both those libraries, which will take place in 2003 and 2004 for Dunmurry and Moira respectively. Those are the next two steps that the board is taking with regard to the provision of capital. We recognise that the libraries in Moira and Dunmurry are in poor condition and that they require capital investment.

I do not see Mr Gibson in his place to put question 3.

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4.

asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to give his assessment of the proposed new-build football stadium projects announced at various venues in the Province.

(AQO 164/02)

I have been aware for some time of the problems facing soccer and the need to upgrade many sports stadia, especially soccer stadia, in Northern Ireland to modern standards. I have already taken steps to address some of the problems through the interim safe sports grounds scheme, but this proposal prioritises safety issues. Against that background, I welcome the news that some local football clubs are beginning to negotiate partnerships with local authorities and the private sector, not only to develop more modern stadia but to make them more commercially viable.

Does the Minister agree that, to date, the refurbishment of sports grounds has only been a sticking-plaster job and has not been successful, even though it has dealt with health and safety? With new interest, especially from the private sector, does the Minister agree that there is a need to review the funding provided through the safe sports grounds scheme?

I do not agree that the refurbishment programme is a "sticking-plaster job". The Executive have devoted £6 million to sports grounds in the past two and a half years. That indicates the support that major sports grounds receive - and, I hope, will continue to receive - from the Executive. That money has been spread across several sports such as soccer, Gaelic football and rugby.

It is important that those involved in football look beyond receiving a Government handout and a Government cheque. That is why I welcome the moves that some soccer clubs are making to find private support and sponsorship, and local authority support. Ballymena United is a prime example of partnership between a football club and its local authority. Bangor FC is looking at a possible partnership with North Down Borough Council to obtain land for a football stadium, and Ards Borough Council has given a portion of land to allow Ards FC to build a new Castlereagh Park. Those are the types of steps that must be taken.

The problem will not be solved by Members coming to the Chamber and asking for money. Resources are scarce, and money should come from a cocktail of resources. It is pleasing that football is beginning to move forward; it gives a sense of anticipation for better and more family-friendly stadia, which is what everyone wants. Therefore, considering what has been invested, it is unfair to describe the refurbishment programme as a "sticking-plaster job".

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. In the light of the recent sectarian death threats against Neil Lennon and the sectarianism associated with some football grounds, does the Minister agree that any planned projects should proceed only if there is a guaranteed anti-sectarian strategy in place.

Anti-sectarianism policies are a key part of the grants and revenue scheme that was announced under the safe sports ground scheme. Within that scheme, funding will be available under three programmes: safety management; urgent (first-aid) works; and major works. Soccer, Gaelic football and rugby clubs availing of that support are required to have anti-sectarian policies in place.

Sectarianism is one of the evils - if not the evil - of our society. It has been, and continues to be, the engine for so much misery for our people. Therefore, society, the Assembly and the Executive have much to do. It is wrong to characterise sectarianism and say that it is football's problem. It is not only football's problem; it is Northern Ireland's problem. Problems that appear in football are a reflection of society. They appear in other areas, and the Assembly seeks to address those problems.

Football is a key sport that could heal the problem because it is an interface sport that both communities play and through which both communities meet. However, when they meet, there are occasionally disgraceful and appalling scenes. What happened twice to Neil Lennon was disgraceful, and everyone condemned it without question. However, by and large, that sort of thing is rare. Football is a way of bringing society together, and that is one of the reasons why the Executive and the Assembly are seeking to invest in it and in other sports.

Does the Minister agree that Northern Ireland could have benefited from the joint Ireland/ Scotland bid to host the European Championships in 2008, if it were not for the poor standard of the local stadia? Does he further agree that a national stadium is desirable and necessary soon?

I was quoted in 'The Observer' yesterday regarding the bid to host the European Championships in 2008, but I did not make a statement to that paper, and the quotes ascribed to me are not entirely accurate. Northern Ireland was not in a position to join that bid because it does not have an international stadium with 30,000 seats. Therefore, if we want to get involved in that tournament, our next opportunity is 2012. However, Northern Ireland cannot do it alone; there would have to be some form of partnership. Scotland was going to make its own bid, but then it decided to seek partners, and it joined up with the Irish Republic. It seems, however, there are difficulties in the South in respect of the delivery of large stadia, so their bid is in question.

The next opportunity for Northern Ireland will be in 2012, but it costs a great deal of money to host that type of tournament, and Northern Ireland would have to find its share of it. If we had that sort of sum to invest in sport, would we want to invest it all in a tournament that lasts a couple of weeks in 2012? We will not even be at first base until we have a stadium of international standards with 30,000 seats. I agree that that is essential.

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5.

asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to outline discussions he has had about extending the Football (Offences) Act 1991 to Northern Ireland.

(AQO 167/02)

My departmental officials and I have had discussions with the Sports Council for Northern Ireland, the Irish Football Association and the Police Service about the practicalities of extending the Football (Offences) Act 1991 and related legislation to Northern Ireland. The discussions have included consideration of the type of legislation that might be appropriate for Northern Ireland to control spectator behaviour in football grounds, which is the main purpose of the GB Act. Those discussions have also taken place in the context of wider deliberations on the soccer strategy process.

Once again, the Neil Lennon saga shows the scourge of sectarianism in football in Northern Ireland; unfortunately, it made headlines across the world. The Football (Offences) Act 1991 largely deals with race, but it could be adjusted because it has been shown to be effective in other parts of Great Britain and Scotland.

In reply to a previous question, the Minister recognised that many Irish League football clubs want to improve their grounds and build new stadia. In the Department's efforts to encourage clubs to develop football as a family sport, will the Minister agree that there is an urgent need to deal with all aspects of hatred and sectarianism, not only in football but in all sports?

As I said in a previous answer and on previous occasions, I was appalled by the Neil Lennon affair. It was disgraceful. I condemned it then, and I condemn it now.

Sectarianism is not simply a problem in football, nor can football on its own solve sectarian problems. Sectarianism is not confined to football. Every activity in Northern Ireland can be marred by sectarian behaviour. Anti-sectarian measures must cover all sports.

The Football (Offences) Act 1991 (c.19) contains regulations against hooliganism and racism. Three of the offences listed are: throwing an object at or towards the pitch or spectators, taking part in indecent or racist chanting and going onto the pitch without lawful authority. The Act was subsequently amended to allow banning orders to ban certain spectators from domestic and international matches, and racist or indecent chanting was specified for acts abroad.

It could be argued that the Act is one person's solution to another person's problem. Northern Ireland has public order legislation matching that of Great Britain but which also outlaws sectarian behaviour. Therefore there are weapons on the statute book to deal with sectarianism.

In addition, my Department has had discussions about football with the Sports Council for Northern Ireland and with the Irish Football Association (IFA). However, there are problems across the board; therefore any solution must cover sport in general.

The Department is considering legislation that would incorporate the experiences of the mainland as far as the Public Order Act is concerned. It will examine how to tackle sectarianism at all sporting venues in Northern Ireland - not just at football matches. Widespread consultation has begun, and we will try to create suitable legislation. I must stress that legislation alone will not solve the problem and that legislation dealing with sectarianism in football only will be inadequate. Although the events surrounding Neil Lennon hit the headlines, sectarianism occurs at other events and venues, and the solution must go right across the board.

Does the Minister agree that the football authorities in Northern Ireland have done an excellent job in resolving some of the problems in football? Who will pay for enforcing the new measures if we introduce legislation similar to the Football (Offences) Act 1991? Will it be the clubs? My understanding is that, under the new policing arrangements, the police could not afford to pay for it.

Is the Minister happy with the arrangements between the IFA and the police? Will the police stay outside the grounds and let the clubs' stewards monitor activity inside?

First, order in the grounds is primarily a matter for those who organise the games, and the police will be called in only as a last resort. Secondly, the Department is some way from deciding the funding to implement any legislation, but it will be examined in the consultation.

I have said several times that steps have been taken to address the issues. It is wrong to think that nothing has been done. Northern Ireland's public order legislation goes further than that of Great Britain by outlawing religious hatred. It is an offence to arouse fear on the basis of religious belief and nationality. My Department is involved with the IFA's football for all strategy, which includes a code of conduct for spectators, professionals, stewards, closed-circuit television provision and the appointment of an IFA community relations officer.

The IFA and the Sports Council take that seriously. I commend the work of both organisations, and the IFA have done an excellent job so far. I also commend the police, and how they regularly manage large crowds. However, there is an argument that they may need further provision through legislation, and we will look at that. We will discuss the expense through consultation, look at revenue consequences as part of that process and satisfy those in due course.

Will the Minister elaborate on the likely cost of such legislation to clubs in Northern Ireland, after his discussions with the police? Will he confirm that it will not only be football clubs, but GAA clubs and others that would be covered by such legislation?

Sinn Féin, the SDLP and the Alliance Party are usually vociferous about sectarian behaviour at football matches. Will the Minister comment on their silence about the sectarian violence perpetrated by those celebrating Armagh's win in the all-Ireland final, or whatever it is called? Will he condemn the attacks launched on Protestant churches, Orange halls, police stations and individuals who were perceived as Protestants, by GAA supporters over the weekend?

I confirm that the legislation will embrace all sports venues - not just football. As I mentioned in previous answers, it is not a football-only problem; it goes across all sport and all of Northern Ireland society. As I said in my answer to Mr Hutchinson, with regard to cost, we are in the early stages, and we will work out the revenue consequences through that consultation process.

The Armagh team is to be congratulated on its achievement, which is considerable, as is the junior team of Derry. It has been 54 years since two Northern Ireland teams won both titles. It is sad for Gaelic athletics that the success was besmirched by the activities of a minority of fans who behaved disgracefully in Lurgan. I have spoken to officials in Gaelic athletics, and they have no time for that. That type of fan does Gaelic no good, and Gaelic - as with all sports in Northern Ireland - neither needs nor wants them. I also condemn all attacks on Orange halls, police stations and Protestant churches.

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6.

asked the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure to detail the nature and extent of all-Ireland co-operation and partnership in promoting the arts.

(AQO 143/02)

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland and its counterpart in the Republic jointly fund many projects, organisations and individuals. Those include opera, drama companies, poetry publishers, music schemes, art magazines, writers' centres, storytelling, literature, festivals, individual artists and research programmes.

I thank the Minister for his assurances of all-Ireland partnership in promoting the arts. However, I digress to his responsibility for sport. Does the Minister have any plans to formally recognise the achievement of the Armagh team?

Minister, you can reply extremely briefly, or give the Member a written reply in due course.

The arts in Northern Ireland are organised by the Arts Council, and the arts in the Irish Republic are recognised by their respective counterpart.

Those bodies meet twice a year to discuss issues. It is important that Mr McElduff does not attempt to politicise the arts. The arts are specifically excluded from all-Ireland bodies.

Time is up.

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Agriculture and Rural Development

1.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to update the Assembly on the suggestion that a food body should be established in Northern Ireland; and to make a statement.

(AQO 145/02)

If it is in order, I wish to place on record that I have publicly condemned the actions in Lurgan last night. I want to put the record straight. It was a very small minority of fans, with whom the rest of the GAA supporters are disgusted.

The vision group recommended the establishment of a food body, as there was broad support for it in principle during consultation on the vision report. In March 2002, I established a working group to review the case for a food body, to advise on the possible structure, responsibilities and remit of such a body, and to make recommendations on funding, including the balance between industry and Government funding and the extent to which a body might subsume the activities of existing organisations. Janet Trewsdale, acting chairman of the Northern Ireland Economic Council, chairs the working group, which includes representatives of the main stakeholders. The working group is close to completing its work, and I expect to receive the report shortly.

The Minister said that there would be questions about the food body's structure, responsibility and remit. Can she provide more information on the food body's exact remit and how it might function?

I cannot confirm the remit of any food body until I have considered the working group report, which I expect to receive within a week. I notice that the clock has stopped for some reason. Is that an omen?

There will still only be an hour and a half to answer questions.

The vision group report identified food marketing and supply chain issues as the main work areas for a food body, but I cannot give any further confirmation until I have received the report.

The Minister mentioned the priorities of the vision group's proposals. How wide-ranging will the consultation with different bodies on those priorities be? Will it be contained in the action plan that is scheduled for November 2002?

Does the Member mean the consultation on the food body?

Yes.

There will be extensive consultation with all stakeholders and interested parties on the proposals about the food body. Consultation on the vision document is complete. I shall give my views when I receive the report on the food body. I shall then consult the Committee and other interested parties.

Would it not be more relevant to farmers if the Minister established a fair price commission to ascertain exactly where profits in the agrifood industry are going? In the light of its findings, a commission could create a fair price tag for goods with farmers and producers being paid a fair price.

A fair price commission is a reserved matter and not one for the devolved institution, so that is not for me to consider. As the Member said, there are great difficulties, concerns and mistrust in the agrifood industry. Farmers feel that they are not getting a fair price for their produce.

That can be resolved through greater co-operation in the chain. The Committee for Agriculture and Rural Development, of which Mr Savage is the Deputy Chairperson, and the Competition Commission, investigated the matter and found no evidence of price-fixing or unfair practice. I would be concerned if evidence were uncovered. However, competition matters are reserved.

Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. Would the Minister see merit in an all-Ireland food body?

A working group has been set up to examine the viability of a food body and to consider how it should be financed and what its remit should be. It would be inappropriate of me to comment on the matter while the working group is still considering it. When I have seen the report, I will give my views on it.

Question No. 6, in the name of Mrs Annie Courtney, has been withdrawn and will not require a written answer. Question No. 10, in the name of Mr Fee, and Question No. 20, in the name of Mr Eddie Mr Grady, have also been withdrawn but require written answers.

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2.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development whether she intends to prevent the absorption of the Province's dedicated agricultural colleges into the further and higher education sector, as proposed in the O'Hare Report.

(AQO 131/02)

The O'Hare Report's recommendations are the result of a review by an independent panel of the existing arrangement for agrifoods, research and development and education. Among the panel's wide-ranging recommendations is the transfer of the teaching function of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's colleges to the further education sector. I have not yet decided on my response to the report's recommendations. I received the report at the end of April and immediately put it out for public consultation. The consultation period ended on 31 August, and I received more than 180 responses, which I am studying. However, in July, I told the Rural Stakeholders' Forum that a strong case would have to be presented before I would consider integrating the Department's colleges with the further education institutes.

Does the Minister agree that the absorption of the agriculture colleges into further and higher education colleges could jeopardise agriculture education in much of the Province, since further education colleges tend to decide on the viability of courses strictly according to their budgetary requirements?

I am aware of the importance of agriculture colleges to the industry, and their interaction with it, so a strong case would have to be presented to me before I would consider integrating them with further education institutes.

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3.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what assessment she has made of the rapid on-site testing system used by the agriculture research service of the United States Department of Agriculture when dealing with suspected disease outbreaks in the national herd.

(AQO 126/02)

My officials have been in contact with the research service of the US Department of Agriculture to discuss its work on the development of a rapid on-site testing system, which can be transported to the site of a suspected disease outbreak by truck or by helicopter. It combines the speed of the latest disease diagnosis techniques of molecular biology with advanced mobile communication technology. In the event of an outbreak, rapid diagnosis can be carried out on the farm, and the results are immediately transmitted back to the control centre. The system is particularly suited to the diagnosis of major outbreaks of exotic diseases where speedy action is essential. I expect that such advance and the methods available to deal with major outbreaks of disease will deliver benefits in the next few years, should we need them.

I thank the Minister for her research into the apparatus used in America. I learned that the time between the test and the result is 90 minutes. Here, the same result took three days. Will the Minister tell us why that system was not deployed here during the 2001 outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease?

It would have not been appropriate to use this system last year because international authorities for the diagnosis of foot-and-mouth disease approved neither the system nor the technology on which it is based. The Office International des Epizooties (OIE) foot-and-mouth disease reference laboratory at the Institute of Animal Health, Pirbright has tested the performance of the diagnostic element of the system. Its reports contain reservations about the system and its use as a portable facility, although it remains positive about the potential of this type of rapid diagnostic technique. One of the problems with portable systems is the real danger of cross-contamination during such an exercise.

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4.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development what progress has been made in achieving wet weather payments for farmers.

(AQO 163/02)

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7.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development to detail any special measures and actions taken by her Department to assist farmers following the wet summer weather conditions; and to make a statement.

(AQO 139/02)

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11.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, in the light of the deteriorating climatic conditions in Ireland, what assessment she has made on the impact this has had on agricultural production and what actions she proposes to address this impact

(AQO 132/02)

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19.

asked the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, in the light of the impact the bad weather is having on production this year, if she will be preparing a dossier for submission to the European Union.

(AQO 155/02)

With your permission, Mr Deputy Speaker, I shall answer Questions 4, 7, 11 and 19 together. I am acutely aware of the difficulties experienced by farmers as a consequence of the very wet weather over much of the growing season. I have monitored the situation very carefully. Over the summer, my advisers were active, providing technical advice and assistance to producers. Furthermore, an extensive advisory programme is planned for the coming months, starting later this week with open days at the Agricultural Research Institute at Hillsborough.

As well as that practical assistance, I have worked hard to secure a relaxation of European Union grazing rules on set-aside land and achieved a satisfactory outcome last month, together with an increase in cattle subsidy advance payments. The possibility of wet weather payments remains open; however, to release the necessary funds, any such scheme must first secure European Union state aid approval and the agreement of the Executive. In both cases, concrete evidence will be required to support the argument for financial assistance, and such evidence cannot be gathered until the end of the growing season. My officials have made arrangements to meet the European Union Commission to explore the options in the light of the evidence, and I have written to the Executive to brief them on the situation.

The growing season is coming to an end, the cereal harvest is almost finished, and most farmers say that their cereal crops have been significantly reduced. The potato harvest is about to commence with low expectations from potato farmers. Will the Minister assure the House that as soon as the crops have been harvested, her Department will seek financial assistance for the farming community? Many farmers have suffered greatly over the past few years as a result of foot-and-mouth disease and BSE, and the weather this year has been a terrible blow to the farming community.

I assure Mr Poots, as I did in my first response, that my officials and I have been monitoring the situation. If there is a case to be made to the European Commission we will begin to build it as soon as the growing season ends. However, we shall not seek financial assistance from Europe. In the first place, we will seek state aid approval from Europe; if that is granted, I must find the resources in our own block budget and get the Executive's approval. I have already spoken on this matter to the Minister of Finance and Personnel and to the Executive, and they are aware of the farmers' plight.

There was very wet weather during the 1999 season in the Orkney Islands, yet by the time the case had been made, the EU state aid approved and resources allocated, it was the following June before payments were made to farmers. Farmers should not expect financial assistance before the end of the year. It will take some time for the money to become available.

In the meantime, through measures such as the winter management workshops, the Department is doing everything possible to help farmers cope. I recently visited a farm. I am, therefore, aware of the damage that has been done to the ground by poaching and of the loss and additional costs that farmers will incur if their feed bills increase.

Does the British Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Margaret Beckett, understand the unique circumstances and difficulties faced by farmers in the Six Counties after the wettest growing season in years, while England enjoyed considerably better weather conditions? Does she understand the massive water shortages and high meal costs in the summer months and the lack of extra fodder available to farmers in other parts of Ireland?

Funding for wet weather payments is the responsibility of the EU Commission. In June 2002, I alerted Mrs Beckett to the situation in Northern Ireland, and I wrote to her in July to update her. If, therefore, we have a case, Mrs Beckett, as the UK Minister to the EU Commission, will make it for us.

Does the Minister agree that the changes to the weather and seasonal patterns seem to be becoming the norm, rather than the exception? In the light of that, does she agree that the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development's planning and the pattern of grants on offer may have to change? Will she consider the impact of the changing conditions on the vulnerable rural and urban areas along the east Antrim coastline in the boroughs of Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus and Larne?

I cannot comment on climate change; it is somewhat beyond my remit. The impact of the changing conditions is, however, a growing problem, but, given that the grants and subsidies come from Europe, it is not in my competence to change the payment system.

Will the Minister comment on east Antrim?

Some issues, such as flooding, are in my remit through the Department's Rivers Agency. However, many other issues fall in the remits of the Department of the Environment and the Water Service. A mechanism has been initiated whereby, with the Department of the Environment, the Rivers Agency and other relevant agencies, the Department provides a rapid response team that ensures that, if people have a problem with flooding, they can contact the correct agency and will not be passed from pillar to post. The Department of the Environment is responsible for planning, building and developing flood plains.

I recognise that the Minister and her Department have done much in the past to help the agriculture industry cope with the BSE and foot-and-mouth disease crises. The bad weather is compounding the difficulties faced by the farmers who are recovering from those problems. Does the Minister agree that the farming community requires much more help? What questions is the Commission likely to ask regarding the state aid application?

The Commission will wish to verify that the level of loss incurred exceeds 30% in the lowland areas and 20% in the less-favoured areas, which are the minimum thresholds specified in the state aid guidelines. The Commission will also want to be satisfied that any proposed aid is accurately targeted at those losses and that there is no risk of overcompensation or market distortion.

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