Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

Featured

A series of community drop-in sessions on work being undertaken to address blue green algae around Lough Neagh shoreline ... more
03 October 2024
The ‘Air Pollution in Northern Ireland 2023’ report has been published today by DAERA.... more
03 October 2024
Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has paid tribute to the veterinary industry at the annual BVA dinner.... more

Our responsibilities

Angling and Commercial Fishing (Inland Fisheries)

Inland Fisheries is responsible for developing angling and commercial fishing policy in relation to the conservation, protection, development, and improvement of Salmon and Inland Fisheries in Northern Ireland.

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Animal Health, Welfare and Trade

Information about diseases, disease control and prevention, welfare of farmed and non-farmed animals, trade, importing and exporting animals and authorisation of PVPs for these official activities.

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Biodiversity

Protecting and preserving Northern Ireland's wildlife and habitats from invasive alien species and other environmental threats.

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Countryside Management and Managing your Business

Information on agri-environment schemes, water quality, renewable energy and employing people on your farm.

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Crops and Horticulture

Information on areas of crop growing and horticulture including combinable crops, potatoes, fruits and vegetables, seeds and nursery stock.

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Education and Research

Education and training courses for the land-based and food industries and development programmes.

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Environmental Advice for Planning

DAERA has a role in development management and responds to development proposals where there is potential for impacts on the natural and marine environments and fisheries interests.  

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EU Exit

Information to help you and your business prepare for the end of Transition on 31 December 2020.  Further information and updates will be posted as they become available.

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Fisheries

Sea fisheries, inland fisheries, aquaculture and fish health policy in Northern Ireland. 

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Food

Meat inspection, milk and milk products, personal food imports, egg packers

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Forestry

Forestry education, forest industry, forestry and the environment, forest planning.Contact the NI Forest ServiceInformation on plant and tree healthUK Forestry Standard

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Farm Support and Development

Having left the EU we now have a unique opportunity for the first time in 50 years to target farm support to meet the needs of Northern Ireland more effectively.

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Grants and Funding

There is a wide range of grant and subsidy schemes to support local farming, fisheries, rural businesses and communities. 

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Land and Landscapes

Information on land quality and soil as well as details on the geology of Northern Ireland's distinctive and precious landscapes.

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Livestock Farming

Information on key areas of livestock farming including dairy, beef, sheep, pigs, poultry and grass.

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Local Authority Official Certification

Information for Food Competent Certifying Officers regarding official certification of fish, fish products, composite products (containing egg and or fish) and egg products.

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Marine

Protecting Northern Ireland's coastal and marine environment via legislation, licensing and permits and conservation activities

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Northern Ireland Food Animal Information System (NIFAIS)

NIFAIS the Northern Ireland Food Animal Information System, will be a new flexible and innovative IT system that supports efficient and effective delivery of current and future food animal information services.

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Plant and Tree Health

Pests and diseases, pesticides, plant passporting, imports and exports, surveys and compliance.

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Pollution

Activities undertaken to prevent, monitor and control pollution of the air, land and waterDAERA and NIEA are issuing specific Covid-19 Regulatory Position Statements in relation to our regulated activities, they can be accessed from the following link;https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/landing-pages/daeras-and-nieas-regulatory-response-covid-19

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Protect the Environment

Actions taken to raise awareness and counteract threats to the environment on both a local and global scale

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Rural Development

Management and implementation of the Rural Development Programme and the Rural White Paper Action Plan

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Rural Needs

This section contains advice, guidance, information and other resources for public authorities in relation to their duties under the Rural Needs Act (NI) 2016.

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Statistics

A range of statistics covering agriculture, environment, rural communities, food, animal health, fisheries and forestry in Northern Ireland.

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Sustainability

Information relating to sustainable development and prosperity agreements.

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Resource & Waste Policy

DAERA and NIEA have responsibility in NI for making sure waste and resources are managed in a sustainable and safe way. This page is intended to be a “one stop shop” for any queries you have on waste policy (including legislation and regulation).

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Water

Protecting the aquatic environment by regulating water quality and hydrological processes whilst considering the needs of industry, agriculture and the protection of public health.

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Windsor Framework

The Windsor Framework (Implementation) Regulations 2024 came into force on 12 April 2024. The Regulations confer powers upon the Secretary of State in relation to Articles 5-7 and Annex 2 of the Windsor Framework, however, the UK Government has committed to exercising these powers only to the extent necessary to support the operation of the Windsor Framework, including relevant commitments of the Safeguarding the Union command paper.

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COVID-19

Pages relating to the departments response to COVID-19

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Our documents

Access to information

How to request information from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs including Freedom of Information (FOI), Environmental Information Regulations (EIRs) and the use of our Publication Scheme.


The Minister

Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

Andrew Muir MLA is Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland and Alliance Party MLA for North Down.

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Management and structure

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has responsibility for food, farming, environmental, fisheries, forestry and sustainability policy and the development of the rural sector in Northern Ireland. ... more

Contact us

Jubilee House

Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Jubilee House
111 Ballykelly Road
Ballykelly
Limavady
BT49 9HP

Clare House

Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Clare House
303 Airport Road West
Belfast BT3 9ED

Lisburn

Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
17 Antrim Road
Tonagh
Lisburn
BT28 3AL

DAERA helpline numbers

Customer Service

You can telephone our offices between the hours of 9.00am and 5.00pm, Monday to Friday. The opening times of our public offices are displayed on the DAERA Direct Regional offices page. Our offices are closed on most bank holidays and public holidays. Different opening hours apply to our public facilities such as forest and country parks, and information is available locally and on our website. Please note that it is not possible to see members of the public at DAERA Headquarters in Clare House/Jubilee House/Lisburn without a pre-arranged appointment.

Seeing Callers

Officials will make every effort to meet with you at your nearest public office.

If you have a pre-arranged appointment, we aim to see you within 10 minutes of the agreed time. If we have to cancel an appointment, we will explain why, give you as much notice as possible and arrange a new time to suit you.

If you have not made an appointment with us, we aim to see you within 15 minutes of your arrival. If you are waiting longer, we will explain why and keep you informed. A queuing system may be introduced in our public offices at busy periods.

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