Debate contribution: Independent Environmental Protection Agency

Debate contribution by Ms Sian Mulholland on 13 May 2024.

MLA

Ms Sian Mulholland

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

13 May 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

Independent Environmental Protection Agency

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4489281

Read the official Assembly record

Text

The motion will resonate deeply not only with me but with all those who cherish the beauty and ecological significance of Lough Neagh; those who live, work and have built their communities on its shores. As I have said before in the Chamber, although I now represent North Antrim, until last year, when I swapped my view of Ram's Island for Rathlin Island, my connection to the lough was through generations of my father's family, who lived by and worked on the lough. My father made his living fishing for eels. Not many are able to say that any more, more's the pity. Lough Neagh, as we know, is the largest freshwater lake in these islands, but it is not merely a body of water. It is a lifeline for biodiversity, tourism, recreation, fishing and culture. Its significance simply cannot be overstated, not least because it provides over 40% of Northern Ireland's drinking water and serves as a sanctuary for countless species of flora and fauna. Yet, despite its importance, we face yet another summer of ecological and biodiversity crisis. The truth is, as has been said before, that this did not happen on a whim. It has been decades in the making, and it will take decades and concentrated commitment and investment to control. High concentrations of phosphates and nitrates from agricultural run-off; the inadequacies of our waste water infrastructure; the relentless growth of invasive species; and the looming spectre of climate change-induced higher temperatures are all factors that have conspired to push Lough Neagh to the brink. We knew that it would not be fixed overnight, and we are on the brink of another summer of a blighted lough. There are solutions and actions that we can focus on, but they must involve many stakeholders. The motion underscores our collective commitment to address the management of Lough Neagh. Central to those efforts has to be a fully independent environmental protection agency, something that, as my party colleague John Blair mentioned, we have been calling for for many years to ensure comprehensive, independent oversight of Northern Ireland's environmental performance. Such an agency must be given the authority and autonomy to enforce environmental laws, rather than adding to money-wasting layers of bureaucracy, as a Member who spoke previously indicated. In fact, we believe that it will serve as a foundation against the further degradation of our precious natural resources. Since Brexit, Northern Ireland has been without the oversight of the European Commission. The Office for Environmental Protection was established in November 2021 to act as an oversight body across England and Northern Ireland. In response to the Member across the Chamber who was concerned about what difference an independent EPA would make, the biggest thing is that the Office for Environmental Protection did not replace all of the functions that the European Commission held, the most important being the power to levy fines. We have to do all that we can to sanction those who repeatedly pollute our lough. Increasing fines and imposing harsher sanctions and penalties for repeat polluters sends a message that environmental transgressions simply will not be tolerated. We know that investing in waste water infrastructure is paramount, as is supporting nature-friendly farming practices that prioritise sustainability and biodiversity conservation. For me and for my party, perhaps most crucial of all is the imperative to foster cooperation amongst all stakeholders. As my colleague John Blair referenced, it is about getting out of the silos, transcending departmental boundaries and embracing a holistic approach to the protection and preservation of Lough Neagh. By creating a legislative duty to cooperate, we can forge a path forward that honours our collective responsibility to safeguard that invaluable asset for generations to come. We want to see the multifaceted environmental improvement plan on which my colleague Minister Muir has been seeking Executive agreement since March. That plan could be used to address a wide range of environmental criteria, many of which could be directly relevant to the situation in Lough Neagh. I hope that, following the motion today, that will come through as a matter of urgency with full Executive approval. We know that we need fewer dust-gathering strategies and more cooperative action, and, in the Chamber, Members on all Benches have expressed their concern about the biodiversity crisis, although some continue to disagree on some of the actions needed to make positive change. Whilst I am not enough of a Pollyanna to believe that we will return to a time when hundreds of fishing boats will leave quays all along the shore at 4.00 am every day from 1 May, I hope that we can put in place a multilayered plan that will see the lough return to its delicate balance in the decades to come.

794 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 10:28 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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