Supportive Comments

Jim Allister, MEP (TUV)

"This £100m project is a must in safe-guarding the future sustainability of the sector."

Billy Armstrong, MLA (UUP)

"I welcome these proposals...Government must not be seen to let red tape, bureaucracy or interdepartmental turf wars cause this opportunity to be lost."

Graham Furey, UFU President

"With time running out, the Rose Energy project is the only proposal on the table which will safeguard the future of the poultry industry and the farm businesses which depend on the industry for their livlihoods. Against this backdrop, the UFU has decided to support this proposal so the poultry industry can move forward and meet the challenge of these EU Environmental Directives."

Northern Ireland Grain Trade Association (NIGTA)

"The future of NI food companies who are European leaders will be at risk should this project not receive approval within the next few months. The NI food industry and the associated jobs depend on a viable solution."

Michael Bell, Director, Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA)

"We are strongly supportive of the Rose Energy proposal. There have been suggestions that this project would potentially threaten our agri-food industry, but in fact it is the very opposite - it would only serve to protect it. Why would the industry propose a solution that would threaten its very existence?
Everything that man does on this earth has an impact on our environment, it is unrealistic to expect otherwise. What is important is that we seek to minimise that impact and make responsible decisions for the future of our industry and our society. This project remains the only viable solution for the industry, and i believe it should be supported as such."

Alderman James Currie, Ballymena Council (UUP)

"If the Northern Ireland Assembly does not fully support Rose Energy's proposals it will result in the demise of our vibrant poultry industry. We are not only talking about the loss of 7,000 jobs for those directly employed by the industry, but many more thousands who would be indirectly affected. With NI being on the periphery of Europe, and in light of the present economic climate - now is not the time to be losing the industry we have, but to make the most of it."

Tom Elliott, MLA (UUP)

"The Nitrates Directive will have a huge impact on the Northern Ireland agri-food industry in the coming years. The intensive agricultural sector, including the poultry enterprise, requires an early resolution. It is vital that this resolution will not only that industry, but will also be a positive contributor to the Northern Ireland economy and environment."

Trevor Clarke, MLA (DUP)

"What must be remembered is that poultry farmers and the associated processing industry sustains thousands of jobs across NI and puts millions of pounds into the industry... there is a strong argument to suggest that dealing with poultry waste in this way could actually help reduce the levels of pollution found in Lough Neagh."