The failure of politicians to form a new executive at Stormont within a three-week deadline after the last election means that responsibility for public expenditure now falls to civil servants.

Outlining the position at an AFBI science conference in Templepatrick earlier this week, DAERA permanent secretary Noel Lavery described the current political situation as “uncertain”. However, he insisted that the Department would continue to function, given that the permanent secretary at the Department of Finance, David Sterling now has limited powers to release cash.

“The Department will continue to deliver public services. But we won’t be able to deliver new projects, programmes or policies which require ministerial endorsement,” said Lavery.

That means various initiatives such as a new TB eradication policy or funding for a new land-use strategy are on hold for now. However, projects signed off by former Agriculture Minister Michelle McIlveen before leaving office should continue to operate as normal. That includes money being paid out under Tier 1 of the farm capital grant scheme, and a new environmental farming scheme. CAP payments to farmers should also flow as normal later this year.

Lavery also had some words of comfort for AFBI, which has been hit hard by recent budget cuts, resulting in a 21% reduction in staff since 2015.

When a new minister is put in place to set a budget for the incoming year, and despite ongoing financial pressures across DAERA, he said that his advice would be to protect the AFBI budget for 2017/18.

Brexit

On Brexit, Lavery insisted that it was a significant priority for DAERA, and that the Department has already forged links and relationships with other devolved governments, with Whitehall in London and with counterparts in the Republic of Ireland.

With the local agri-food sector heavily reliant on exports, he said that continued access to EU markets post-exit was vital.

In terms of a new agricultural support policy he said it was too early to outline future direction, but he acknowledged that NI has an issue to overcome given that it receives 9% of UK CAP payments, but only has 3% of the UK population.

An important issue for devolved governments will also be how much power they have to set their own policy in line with local needs.

Lavery maintained that it is vital that devolution is fully respected, so that NI is able to tailor policy rather than it being collectively imposed from Westminster.