Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has insisted he has “no plans” to review the legal targets set out in the NI Climate Change Act passed by the Stormont Assembly in 2022.

“My department’s focus is on delivering on those targets and the other requirements in the Act that, whilst challenging, are achievable,” he told MLAs on Tuesday.

He added it was “very disappointing” that some parties are now calling on the Climate Change Act to be scrapped, insisting that there are economic opportunities to be grasped as NI looks to decarbonise its economy.

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“I will be powering on in relation to climate action, because it is the challenge of our generation, and it is important that we deliver for everyone,” he said.

However, it was put to the Minister by DUP MLA Phillip Brett that the likes of the Utility Regulator and the chief executive of NI Electricity have both now said that initial 2030 NI climate targets will not be met. “Why do you know better than those experts?” he asked.

In his question to the Minister, TUV MLA Timothy Gaston pointed out that the best advice is that livestock will have to be cut by around 20% to meet 2030 targets. “When will the Minister start standing up for the agriculture industry,” asked Gaston.

“Just recently, we consulted on the climate action plan for 2023 to 2027. In that, there are no proposals for herd reduction,” responded Minister Muir.