Diana Armstrong Appointed New Chair of Assembly’s Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee
Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA Diana Armstrong has officially been named the new Chair of the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (AERA) Committee. She steps into the role following the departure of Robbie Butler, who recently vacated the position to serve as the Minister of Health.
In her inaugural statement, Ms. Armstrong acknowledged her predecessor’s contributions while outlining an ambitious and critical agenda for the committee. Emphasizing the core function of her new role, she stated, "This Committee’s job is scrutiny: to hold the Department to account and make sure it works for the industry and the people it exists to serve."
A Lifetime Rooted in Agriculture
Ms. Armstrong brings a deep, personal understanding of the sector to the chair. "Agriculture has shaped virtually every aspect of my life," she noted. "I grew up on our family farm near Ballinamallard and I am married to a farmer, so I know the realities at first hand."
Drawing on her family’s political legacy, she referenced the guiding principles of her father, Harry West, who previously served as Minister of Agriculture. West’s philosophy focused on three pillars: investment in farming, the education of the next generation of farmers, and overall affordability. "Sixty years on," Armstrong remarked, "those are still the right tests."
Rebuilding Trust and Addressing Industry Crisis
Taking the reins at a "difficult moment," Armstrong highlighted the strained relationship between the farming community and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA). Having consulted with farming families in her constituency of Fivemiletown, she acknowledged that confidence in the regulator has been severely damaged.
"Rebuilding it will take more than time passing," she said. The new Chair underscored that farmers are currently navigating a "perfect storm" of challenges, including high fertilizer costs, the ongoing struggle with bovine TB, uncertainty regarding nutrient regulations, and the long-term future of farm support schemes.
Furthermore, Armstrong called for a shift in how the industry approaches mental health, asserting, "Resilience should never be mistaken for an absence of need."
A Vision for Policy and Environment
Beyond immediate farming concerns, the new Chair has set her sights on the new Chair of the Assembly’s Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee to drive forward the Dilapidation Bill. She stressed that derelict buildings remain a blight on rural communities and that, upon the bill’s passage, her priority will be ensuring councils have the resources to utilize new powers effectively.
On environmental policy, Armstrong advocated for "partnership over prescription." She addressed the contentious issues of climate targets and the crisis at Lough Neagh, insisting that the burden of environmental improvement must be shared.
"Wastewater infrastructure must face the same scrutiny as farming," she argued. "What I will not accept is our farmers carrying that burden alone. They manage our land, and they should be central to the design of policy rather than the people it is done to."
Concluding her statement, Ms. Armstrong pledged to steer the committee toward a more supportive, collaborative relationship with the agricultural sector. "Our farmers get on with the job quietly and without fanfare," she said. "They deserve a Department that understands them, not one they experience only through inspection and enforcement."
