Mental health, antimicrobial resistance levels and leaky tanks queries answered

Ms Órlaithí Flynn (SF, West Belfast) had asked the minister how he planned to address the issue of mental health in farming and rural communities.

In response the minister commented: “I am currently supporting initiatives to address the issue of mental health in farming and rural communities, through the Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) Programme:

“The Rural Support charity which operates a telephone Helpline and signposting service for farmers and rural dwellers in stress.

“Their volunteers support clients with a range of issues pertaining to farming matters and stress. Rural Support are currently delivering awareness training workshops entitled ‘Coping With The Pressures of Farming’, funded by Farm Family Key Skills Programme.

“The Farm Families Health Checks Programme has screened the physical and mental health and well-being of 20,000 individuals since 2012, primarily farmers, farm workers and farm family members attending marts and community events.

“The SPRING Social Prescribing project which is delivered in partnership with eight rural Healthy Living Centres aims to link medical care to non-clinical locally delivered support services by enabling medical professionals to refer rural patients to a range of activities and services.”

The minister continued: “Looking forward, a new Rural Policy Framework is being developed, to shape future rural priorities and includes a draft goal ‘to reduce loneliness and social exclusion in rural areas, to minimise the impacts of rural isolation and to promote the health and well-being of rural dwellers’.

“This framework will provide the basis for DAERA to work with other departments, public bodies and the community and voluntary sector going forward to ensure that actions are taken to address the issue of mental health in farming and rural communities.”

Mr John Dallat (SDLP, East Londonderry) has asked the minister to outline the research on a possible relationship between the level of antibiotics given to pigs, poultry and dairy cattle and subsequently excreted in their waste, and the rising level of resistance to these drugs.

The minister replied: “My department is not aware of any specific research currently being carried out in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK on the relationship between levels of antibiotics being administered to pigs, poultry and dairy cattle and the impact of their excreted waste on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) levels.

“However, the 2016 O’Neill ‘Review on Antimicrobial Resistance’, and the resultant NI 5-Year Action Plan ‘Changing the Culture 2019-2024; tackling antimicrobial resistance in NI’ is based on various pieces of research from across the world.

“This research has raised concerns around the increased risk of antimicrobial resistance that might arise from the contamination of the environment by waste from commercial activities, people and animals.

“Hence the NI Action Plan includes specific targets aimed at minimising the rate of increase of AMR through reducing contamination of the environment, for example by optimising the use of antimicrobials in all animals – domestic and agricultural.”

In conclusion the minister said: “Guidance on the handling of animal waste to reduce the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria has also been made available to livestock keepers at - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/handling-of-manure-and-slurry-to-reduce-antibiotic-resistance.”

Mr Jim Allister (TUV, North Antrim) raised the matter tanks constructed under the Farm Nutrient Management Scheme. He asked the minister if he would detail how many instances there had been of these tanks proving not to be leak proof.

The minister replied: “The Chartered Engineer employed by the Farm Nutrient Management Scheme (FNMS) applicant was responsible for tank design and compliance with the legislation and British Standards relating to slurry tanks (BS5502) and the water retaining code (BS8007).

“In addition, the relevant legislation at the time, the Silage Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil Regulations 2003, required all newly constructed tanks to be notified to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) 28 days before they were intended to be brought into use.

“Such notifications included a declaration by the Chartered Engineer that the tanks were built to the legislative requirements.

“On receipt of the notification of any new slurry tank NIEA may undertake non-statutory site visits to check compliance with distance from watercourses, capacity, outlets and any obvious potential water pollution issues irrespective of whether the tanks were funded under the FNMS or not.

“It was not the role of these site visits to check the structural integrity of the tank, which is vouched for by the certification from a suitably qualified engineer which accompanies the notification.”

Minister Poots concluded: “Any incidents of allegedly leaking tanks, either reported or detected during planned farm inspections, would have been, and continue to be, investigated by NIEA.

“How a tank’s construction was funded is not part of the NIEA investigation.

“Therefore, data on how many instances there have been of tanks constructed under the FNMS that have leaked has not been collated by the department and is not available.”

Mr Jim Wells (DUP, South Down) received an answer to his questions on peatlands.

He had asked the minister for his assessment of the importance of peatlands for the storage of carbon. He also asked why his DAERA permitted large-scale peat extraction.
Mr Poots commented: “Peatland with semi-natural vegetation covers approximately 12% of the land area of Northern Ireland, accounting for 53% of the soil carbon pool.

“Peatlands represent an important carbon store and when in good condition, have the potential to absorb greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.”

And to second part of Mr Wells’s question, the minister said: “ The power to grant permission for large-scale peat extraction lies with Planning Authorities.

“My department is a statutory consultee and provides advice to Planning Authorities in relation to planning applications for peat extraction.

“In relation to department owned lands, peat extraction is limited to areas where there is a long-standing tradition and where rights or a lease have been previously established.”