Debate contribution: Independent Environmental Protection Agency

Debate contribution by Mr Robbie Butler on 13 May 2024.

MLA

Mr Robbie Butler

Party at the time

Ulster Unionist Party

Date

13 May 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

Independent Environmental Protection Agency

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4489325

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Before I start, I welcome Andrew McMurray, who made his maiden speech today. Andrew, I was going to say that you have big boots to fill, but you have big, long legs to follow in former MLA Paddy Brown, so I wish you good luck, and I enjoyed your speech. Forgive me for not including more contributions, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. Declan McAleer spoke too fast for me to write anything down, but I know that he made really good points. I thought that I spoke fast: my goodness, they are even better west of the Bann. Members, an opportunity lies before us not just to address the immediate crisis at hand but to enact systemic changes that could fortify our environmental governance for years to come. I am advocating for the amendment, which was moved by my colleague Tom Elliott. I welcome the Minister's response and recognise what he has done, but the adoption of our amendment will offer a level of scrutiny to the Chamber as to what the review that he has carried out will amount to and of where the powers will reside in those agencies that have been reviewed.

Contrary to what was in some Members' comments, we see the value of and need for an independent environmental protection agency. However, we simply seek to ensure that, in the scrutiny, construction and delivery of such a body, it is clearly focused and resourced, has the requisite support and powers and that that is well known across the gamut of stakeholders that will be involved. Mr Patsy McGlone moved the motion, and it was certainly worthy of debate. As he accurately orated, we have debated the motion many times over many years. Whilst the establishment of an independent environmental protection agency would be a commendable step, we must acknowledge that it alone may not suffice in tackling the multifaceted challenges posed by the ecological and biodiversity crisis in which we find ourselves. We need to take a holistic approach, one that scrutinises our existing governance structures, identifies their shortcomings and explores avenues for improvement. We all need to be involved in that, however; it should not be just within a single Department's purview. The environment belongs to us all, and, as the Minister pointed out, this is a cross-departmental exercise. Linda Dillon spoke about being parochial. She is not here, but that was an excellent message. If every one of us in Northern Ireland were parochial about the environment, we could all play our part and could all make a difference. By incorporating a review of environmental governance into the motion, we signalled our commitment not only to address the symptoms but to diagnose the root causes of environmental degradation. Such a review would also allow us to assess the effectiveness of the current regularity, no, regulatory mechanisms — I have someone else's teeth in today — identify gaps in enforcement and explore best practice from other jurisdictions. A number of Members referred to that. Furthermore, it would provide an opportunity to engage stakeholders from other sectors and, importantly, to involve civil society organisations, the public, industry representatives and academic experts. Their insights and expertise —.

I will, if you are brief.

I hope to give the Member confidence through my answer. It is a brief amendment, and the understanding of it was to try to be helpful. I am not saying that the review that has taken place was narrow, but I am speaking about a wider consultation process. We are talking about what would happen if we were legislating.

Absolutely. Do not take all my time.

I thank the Member for his intervention. I will get on here, guys. The amendment is genuinely meant to be helpful. As I said to the Minister, the scope of the governance piece is inclusive of academic experts, the wider public and civil society. I will move on now. Michelle McIlveen pointed out the need for funding and resources, which will be absolutely crucial if we are to see a marked difference. Moreover, by explicitly including the exploration of potential enhancements to our environmental governance, we demonstrate a willingness to innovate and adapt in the face of evolving challenges. That is key. It could involve considerations such as greater transparency and public participation, which is my main point, stronger regulatory enforcement mechanisms and enhanced coordination.

Sorry, Madam Deputy Speaker?

Can I not get an extra minute? Oh, man.

Oh, right.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

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.

Disagree with this assessment?

Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.

Challenge this classification