Sinn Féin MLA Declan McAleer has said the DUP should stop playing political football with the north-south arrangements on agriculture and rural affairs.

The party’s agriculture spokesperson said:

“It is deeply regrettable that the DUP are playing political football with the north-south arrangements on agriculture and rural affairs.

“Agriculture and in particular agri-food and dairy processing have always been an island wide industry. 

“There are major issues such as TB, ammonia and animal health that have major influences on the agriculture industry and it is essential that both parts of the island are co-ordinated on these major issues because what happens in one jurisdiction directly impacts on the other. 

“It is also incredible that at a time when we are lobbying for the north to be included in the PGI bid for Irish grass-fed beef, that the DUP are undermining the very institutions that could help make this possible . 

“At this crucial time as we cautiously emerge from the COVID pandemic against a backdrop of an enforced Brexit that has caused so much damage to the industry the last thing rural communities need is for the DUP to bring their internal party turmoil into the north-south arrangements for agriculture and rural affairs.”