To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to provide an update on the establishment of the Just Transition Fund for Agriculture, as required by the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022.

The Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 does not set a timescale for establishing the Just Transition Fund for Agriculture. The purpose of the Fund will be to provide advice and financial assistance to the agriculture sector to help it deliver its contribution under proposals and policies which are included within Climate Action Plans. The first priority therefore is to develop and agree those policies and proposals.

We must not simply rush into starting a Fund without understanding what areas need support in transitioning. Some actions may be financially positive for the agriculture sector and therefore it is important to target funding at the areas where transition will be more difficult or costly. So, while this is an area which is being considered by my officials, it needs to be developed and considered in the context of delivering some of the other key requirements of the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022.

It is important to highlight that my Department has provided funding support to the agricultural sector over many years, to assist in the transition towards lower emission farming practices and the sequestration of carbon through various schemes including the Farm Business Improvement Scheme (FBIS), Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) and the Countryside Management Scheme. Further to this, I have launched the Soil Nutrient Health Scheme and am supporting a range of further initiatives through the Green Growth strategy. This type of support will continue to be a priority for my Department as it delivers its functions under the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022.