Robbie Butler MLA and Robin Swann MP have written a joint letter to DAERA Minister Andrew Muir MLA and DEFRA Secretary of State Steve Reed MP raising their concerns about the lack of animal disease controls for Northern Ireland.

The letter follows Reed’s announcement of a ban on cheese and meat imports into the UK from the European Union to prevent the spread of Foot and Mouth disease.

Mr Swann has previously submitted a number of Written Questions to the DEFRA, and the Department was unable to answer how many consignments of animals or food products which enter at Dover and then attended Sevington inland border facility for further inspections. This has raised concerns that these animals or food products could enter the UK unchecked while there are stricter controls on individuals. DEFRA has claimed to be unable to share information due to the process being “intelligence-led” and due to the “dynamic nature of biosecurity controls.”

Mr Butler, Chair of Stormont’s Agriculture Committee, raised the concern with DAERA, asking for the details of any controls that are currently in place to ensure that animals or food products that have not been inspected at Sevington, despite a request from Dover, are prevented from entering Northern Ireland. 

In his response, the Alliance Agriculture Minister has abdicated any responsibility of protecting Northern Ireland from these potentially harmful products, blaming the Windsor Framework Regulations which now puts the movement of live animals and food products into Northern Ireland under the remit of DEFRA.

This follows an announcement from the Dover Port Health Authority which said the funding from DEFRA for meat checks at Dover falls short and will make the implementation of the necessary early “immensely challenging.”

The two UUP politicians have asked for a joint meeting with Minister Muir & Secretary of State Reed to ensure that people and industry in Northern Ireland are receiving the same protections and safeguards from the recent reported outbreaks of Foot and Mouth in Europe as the rest of the United Kingdom.