There will be a second public consultation before any changes are made to the Nutrients Action Programme (NAP) in NI.

On Monday, Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir set out plans to allow the current NAP consultation to run its course.

Following that, a new group will be established which will be made up of representatives from across farming, agri-food, environmental groups and the department.

The group will take into account responses to the current NAP consultation, as well as any other solutions, and propose new measures and actions.

“I will ask the group to come back to me with proposals that are workable at farm level and have realistic time- frames alongside our legislative obligations,” Minister Muir told MLAs on Tuesday.

An economic impact assessment will also be done on these revised proposals, with both the new proposals and the economic assessment subjected to a further eight-week public consultation.

Once this process is complete, final decisions will be put to the Executive at Stormont for agreement.

“That is a genuine effort to find a way forward. I have been listening,” said the Minister.

The current NAP consultation, which closes at midnight on 24 July, has already received nearly 200 responses. Among the plans are new limits for phosphorus (P) targeted at around 3,500 intensive farms and the roll out low emission slurry spreading equipment (LESSE) on all farms.

Minister Muir told MLAs on Tuesday that he wants to offer capital funding for the likes of LESSE.

“The key determinant of that will be the budget that is allocated to my department. If the Finance Minister [John O’Dowd] and I can work together, we will hopefully be able to provide support and help farmers on the road ahead,” he said.