Debate contribution: Independent Environmental Protection Agency: Establishment

Debate contribution by Mr Robbie Butler on 10 November 2025.

MLA

Mr Robbie Butler

Party at the time

Ulster Unionist Party

Date

10 November 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Opposition Business

Heading

Independent Environmental Protection Agency: Establishment

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5225282

Read the official Assembly record

Text

The Ulster Unionist Party supports the motion, because the findings of the independent review of environmental governance were a long time coming, and, if you have read them, you will have seen that they make for some difficult reading. The environmental decline of Lough Neagh is not an isolated failure, but it is the clearest example of the blurred responsibilities, weak enforcement and lack of accountability that exist. Whilst we welcome the motion's objectives, it is fair to say that it was drafted before the Minister's recent announcement. The timing does matter, however. Some of the actions that are called for in the motion are now acknowledged by DAERA and the Minister, and I believe that work has begun. That makes the debate no less important, because the Assembly must now ensure that what was previously promised is actually delivered and delivered well. The Department has accepted the review's 32 recommendations, but there remains uncertainty, certainly from my perspective, about the pace, the sequencing and the direction. Stakeholders across environmental organisations, farming, business and local government are all waiting for clarity. They want to know not just what will change but how it will affect them, because we need to step in time. Reform imposed without proper engagement will not deliver long-term improvement. The proposal to publish a road map of environmental governance is a positive but overdue step. For too long, the system has been opaque: everyone responsible yet no one accountable. However, a map alone will not solve that problem, so once the picture is clear, the focus must be on removing duplication, not adding to it. Creating a new environmental protection agency must not mean replicating existing functions or adding another layer of management, because independence cannot come at the cost of efficiency. The Ulster Unionist Party supports genuine independence for the environmental regulator, but independence must be built on a well-defined mandate, proper resourcing and financial transparency. Anything less risks its becoming a cosmetic exercise — changing logos rather than culture. Independence achieved through structure alone will fail unless it is matched by operational clarity and accountability. Oversight by the Assembly is essential. The proposal for an environmental audit committee deserves serious consideration. Independence must not mean isolation, because a new regulator that is free from interference must still be answerable to the elected representatives of the people that it serves. That is how public confidence will be rebuilt: through transparency, not through detachment. We also acknowledge the Department's stated intention to strengthen compliance and broaden the use of civil sanctions. Whilst complex, that should be welcomed. Too often, environmental offences are met with token penalties and do little to deter repetition. Enforcement must be visible, fair and proportionate. Only then will it command respect across industry and communities alike. Another area that requires clarity is the Department's relationship with NI Water. The review's recommendation to exit the current SORPI arrangements is fundamental, because a regulator cannot sit within the same system as the body that it regulates. That separation must be real and decisive if we are serious about restoring integrity to environmental oversight, particularly in waste water management and pollution control. None of this will work without genuine stakeholder buy-in, which has to be front and centre. Farmers, environmental groups, councils and businesses must all be part of designing the systems that will regulate them.

An advisory committee representing civic society is a sound proposal, but it must have influence, not just symbolism. Education, support and partnership will achieve much more than enforcement alone.

The Ulster Unionist Party, while supporting the motion because it reflects the direction of travel that we have long argued for, also makes the point that clear governance, real accountability and independent oversight will be critical. We add this note of caution: reform must simplify, not complicate; it must clarify, not confuse; and it must deliver outcomes, not bureaucracy. Northern Ireland cannot afford another round of restructuring that multiplies agencies, blurs lines and drains resources. We need a regulator that is lean, trusted and effective and works with others rather than sitting above them. We will support the motion as a statement of intent but also as a reminder that the true measure of progress will not be the number of organisations created but the quality of the environment that they protect.

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

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:45 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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