Elliott delighted with meeting of DARD Committee in Fermanagh
Ulster Unionist MLA Tom Elliott was “delighted” at the decision of the DARD committee to meet in Fermanagh on Thursday following his request to the members. It was the first time the committee had met outside of Stormont during this session of the Assembly and Mr Elliott was keen to show the committee just what the situation is like in rural areas outside of Belfast.
The deputy chair of the DARD committee said: “For quite some time I had thought that the committee should get out into the countryside to see what things are really like. That is why I made the request for the meeting to take place in Enniskillen. You do not get much more rural than in our constituency and as a farmer I know the problems faced by many right across the agricultural industry. Since not all the farming community can go to the committee, I thought I would encourage the committee to come to them in an act of solidarity and with the aim of encouraging local farmers.”
During their time in the constituency the members of the committee visited the CAFRE Campus at Enniskillen Agricultural College and the DARD Direct offices in Inishkeen House. The committee then returned to the collage in the afternoon to hold their meeting. Mr Elliott was hopeful that the visit will help the committee get a sense of just how much work needs to be done to promote the industry.
The Fermanagh and South Tyrone MLA went on to say: “As we held our meeting in the Agricultural college it is only right that we think about the future facing the students in that farming institution and others across the United Kingdom. We as a committee, along with the Minister and her department, need to work hard now to secure a future for the industry and for our children’s future, some of whom may want to work in agriculture.
“I will be working strenuously, along with my committee colleagues, to encourage growth in our industry over the coming months and ease the stress felt by many agricultural workers across Northern Ireland. I feel very strongly about the needs of the agricultural community because I am one of them, and I will make sure their views are expressed in the committee and to the minister as we push to re-energise our sector.”