News

Alliance Environment spokesperson John Blair MLA will submit a petition to the Assembly this week, opposing badger cull proposed by an Executive Department.

Organised by USPCA and Ulster Wildlife, Mr Blair pledged his support and to bring it to the Assembly floor after the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) revealed plans of a badger cull as part of its bovine TB eradication strategy. Over 10,000 people have signed the petition, which will be presented to the Assembly tomorrow (Tuesday).

Mr Blair – Chair of the Assembly’s All-Party Group on Animal Welfare – said: “This petition gives a voice to all those concerned about this plan and I’m delighted to see how many people have come together in a bid to stop it.

“Working with the USPCA, Ulster Wildlife and the Northern Ireland Badger Group has meant we have been able to reach so many more people and make them aware of this concerning move on behalf of the Department.

“I do recognise there is an issue and whilst I am supportive of many of the measures proposed by DAERA to combat the disease, I strongly oppose intensive badger culling, as it would lead to the destruction of protected wildlife on an unprecedented scale, and I expected more engagement between the Department and the wildlife sector.

“With the number of signatures achieved, I now wait to see how the Department will respond, but would encourage the Minister to look at this seriously and provide clarity around his plans. This issue deserves his full attention.

“The Minister now has to come up with another plan and take the time to consider other options on the table – including more ethical alternatives to controlling bovine TB, in both the badger and cattle populations here, such as cattle vaccination and a test–vaccinate–remove strategy.”

Alliance MLA John Blair has welcomed the creation of a new role by the Justice Minister to support victims of crime.

The Victims of Crime Commissioner Designate will carry out a series of tasks, including reviewing the effectiveness of laws and practices around victims, and making recommendations to better improve services to the Department of Justice and criminal justice agencies.

“This is a welcome move and an important one to support victims,” said Mr Blair.

“The Justice Minister has used her role to put the needs of victims at the forefront of the justice system and having consulted with them, established the role of Victims of Crime Commissioner Designate to amplify their voices.

“I hope this will provide an improved voice for victims and when the legislation is taken forward to make the role permanent, give improved results for them.”

Northern Ireland is in urgent need of policies to restore our damaged ecosystems, Alliance Environmental spokesperson John Blair MLA has said.

Mr Blair was speaking during an Assembly debate on the UK Government’s Environment Bill, which was designed to bring in legislation and provide environmental governance following changes after Brexit.

“Our exit from the EU has substantial implications for the environment here,” said Mr Blair.

“This Bill goes some way towards addressing the environmental governance gaps Brexit has exposed. However, in its current state, it does not offer the same level of protection and accountability the European courts did, and as a result, there is a greater ongoing requirement for Northern Ireland to remain aligned to the EU.

“As the only jurisdiction within the UK and Ireland without an independent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a Climate Change Act or a specific net-zero emissions target, Northern Ireland is in urgent need of policies to restore our damaged ecosystems.

“It should go without saying independence and an ability to prosecute effectively are critical to the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), but that is not the case. The new power in this Bill will have the effect of allocating DEFRA and DAERA Ministers a central role in shaping the basic principles of the oversight body, therefore constraining the role of the OEP and its ability to act independently.

“But while this Bill extends oversight of the OEP to Northern Ireland, we cannot allow it to become the absolute of environmental governance here, given the differing role and scope of an independent EPA. That is an outstanding New Decade, New Approach commitment and remains needed to help deal with the climate and ecological crisis we are in.”

Alliance Policing Board representative John Blair MLA has criticised the PSNI after it confirmed its officers were responsible for sharing leaflets which linked rape victims to drinking alcohol.

Police said the leaflets, which were distributed to students at the Magee Campus of the Ulster University, follows a previous similar incident in Belfast last year.

“This has happened before. Police apologised and admitted their error when similar leaflets were distributed last year, and all remaining leaflets should have been destroyed then,” said Mr Blair.

“It should therefore not have happened again and measures should be put in place to make sure that is the case.

“In the interest of consistency across all policing areas, and more importantly, with regards to a victim’s confidence in policing, consistent practice is crucial, and a prevention of any perception of victim-blaming is vital.”

Alliance Party MLA, John Blair spoke this week in the Assembly on the need for roads infrastructure improvement in South Antrim.

The South Antrim MLA said: “My office is receiving daily reminders from constituents on the need for repair and upgrade of roads infrastructure in South Antrim. This week, I spoke in the Assembly on this issue and pressed the need for active travel solutions in the constituency.”

Mr Blair stated his gratitude and appreciation of local officials on their continued work throughout the constituency on tackling these issues during times of restricted funding and lack of staffing. As well as during the pressures of the COVID period.

Mr Blair has said “We do, of course, in South Antrim, just as you would expect in all constituencies, have to draw a distinction between remedial, repair and road safety related works and longer-term plans and strategies, which should by their nature, be more medium to long-term. It is also vital that this planning is collaborative to encompass the numerous, though necessary, strategic programmes aimed at improvements in relation to active travel, greenways and reducing car use if we are serious about a green recovery”.

He added “So while we await scheduled improvements it is my hope that resources will also be dedicated to meeting the long term needs of all constituencies, including South Antrim, with appropriate focus on a sustainable transport system. Hopefully co-operation on these matters will be cross-party, inter-departmental and a priority for all levels of government.”

The South Antrim MLA welcomed the Minister’s comments during the debate and said he will carry on fighting for South Antrim constituents on these matters.