Former priest makes debut as agri minister

The latest member of Northern Secretary Peter Hain’s ministerial team will today make his debut in the North as its Agriculture Minister.

David Cairns, a former Catholic priest who is also a junior minister in the Scottish Office, will attend a breakfast involving farming leaders, politicians and food industry chiefs on the second day of the Balmoral Show in Belfast.

It will be his first engagement since taking over as Northern Ireland Office Agriculture Minister and also taking the reins at the Departments of Environment and Regional Development in the North.

Concerns have been raised by the Ulster Unionists that Mr Cairns’ involvement in the Scottish Office could bring a conflict of interest when he represents the North on farming and fisheries issues.

The new minister could encounter Sinn Féin MP Michelle Gildernew and her Assembly colleague Francie Molloy, who will attend the breakfast.

Ms Gildernew, the party’s agriculture spokesperson, said it would not be lost on the farming community that at last year’s Balmoral Show the breakfast event was the first engagement of Lord Rooker, Mr Cairns’ predecessor in agriculture.

“Twelve months on, we will have yet another part-time, direct-rule minister whose first engagement will be at the Balmoral Show,” the Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP observed.

“The revolving door of agriculture ministers is not good for the industry and I think everyone accepts that we need to put a stop to it.

“Of course, over the next number of weeks there is a clear opportunity for the political parties to stand up and say enough is enough. This represents a particular challenge for the Democratic Unionist Party.”

The SDLP was today also planning to lobby farmers attending this year’s show to make their opposition heard to British government plans for more stringent planning laws in the countryside.

Lord Rooker came under fire during his time as the NIO Environment Minister for announcing tougher planning regulations for single rural dwellings, with parties complaining that it could drive young people away from farming if they could not build a home.

Day one of the Balmoral Show got off to a strong start, with intense competition in the livestock rings.

There was a good turnout of visitors to the Kings Hall and the showgrounds in south Belfast as they basked in glorious May sunshine.

The steady flow of visitors did not result in severe traffic problems, as had been feared, despite ongoing work on the M1 motorway and Westlink.