Committee bringing credibility into question with plant health probe, chair says

Sinn Fein’s Philip McGuigan, chairman of the Windsor Framework Democratic Scrutiny Committee, pointed out that officials had said the changes would not impact people in Northern Ireland, but would now be brought back again next week to repeat their evidence.

He was reacting after unionist MLAs sought the inquiry into amended EU regulations regarding plant health controls and reporting obligations.

Under post-Brexit trading rules, aspects of EU law still apply in Northern Ireland.

The UK and EU’s Windsor Framework on the trading arrangements includes a democratic oversight function for Stormont’s Assembly, designed to give MLAs a voice in respect of proposed changes to European laws.

This includes the Stormont brake, a mechanism that allows a minimum of 30 MLAs to refer a proposed law change to the UK Government.

The Government would then make an assessment of the proposed changes on Northern Ireland and could ultimately veto its application in the region.

The Assembly committee was established as part of the scrutiny function and its task is to examine evidence in relation to potential changes in EU regulations and how they would affect Northern Ireland.

During its meeting on Thursday, it heard evidence from officials from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) on proposed changes to EU plant health regulatory requirements.

Charmaine Beer, head of Daera’s plant health division, said the changes would introduce an electronic notification system, which could be used to enhance pest control.

She said the amendments would “not have a significant impact specific to everyday life on communities” in Northern Ireland.

She also said there would be no impact on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland which had a NI plant health label.

Ms Beer added: “Moreover, in line with the Government’s commitment to ensuring Northern Ireland traders have unfettered access to the rest of the UK internal market, these measures will in no way impede the movement of qualifying Northern Ireland goods from Northern Ireland to Great Britain.”

Mr McGuigan said the new regulations were about “improving processes rather than altering policy”.

He asked what would be the impact if Northern Ireland did not adopt the new regulations.

Ms Beer said the region would end up “out of sync” with the digital system and would not be “optimised in plant health responses”.

Asked if that would impact traders and businesses in Northern Ireland, the official said “yes”.

DUP MLA Jonathan Buckley said: “We have all faced issues with constituents that cannot access seeds that they used to buy in the GB market.

“This regulation, will it have any material impact on that?”

John Joe O’Boyle, chief executive of the forestry service at Daera, responded: “This regulation doesn’t impact that one way or the other, it stays the same.

“They are still subject to the Windsor Framework arrangements.”

Mr McGuigan said the committee had to decide whether to hold an inquiry into the replacement EU Act on plant health.

Mr Buckley and his party colleagues Peter Martin and David Brooks, and Steve Aiken of the Ulster Unionists, voted to hold an inquiry, with Mr McGuigan, Emma Sheerin of Sinn Fein and Eoin Tennyson of the Alliance Party voting against.

Mr McGuigan said the next step was to schedule an oral evidence session with departmental officials next week before compiling a final report later in the month.

As the chairman closed the meeting, he said he was going to make a “political point”.

He added: “When we do have departmental officials coming before us and saying clearly that something doesn’t have an impact.

“Then we are holding an inquiry to bring them back to say the same thing next week.

“I think we need to question our own credibility.”

Mr Tennyson said: “It does affect our credibility.”