DAERA left to serve two masters

Post-Brexit arrangements set out in the Windsor Framework agreement have effectively left DAERA officials serving two different ministers, the Stormont Agriculture committee has been told.

“The department has got two ministers in effect. We’ve got the DAERA Minister for most of the functions but for those that are under the [Defra] Secretary of State, then the secretary of state is for all intents and purposes the DAERA Minister. It’s quite strange to have two ministers from two different jurisdictions. But we’ve been making it work since April,” said Catherine Fisher from DAERA.