Archived press release

Green Groups meet Minister to press for Environmental Protection Agency

2 November 2004

Representatives of nine leading green groups [1] today met Environment Minister Angela Smith to press for the creation of an Environmental Protection Agency. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK and Ireland not to have an independent environmental regulator [2].

Leading the delegation is RSPB's Northern Ireland Director, Aidan Lonergan. He explained that the coalition’s position had been informed by a consultation exercise [3]:

"Our consultation revealed widespread dissatisfaction with the protection afforded to our environment, and majority support for the creation of an independent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) structured as a Non Departmental Public Body. The new agency would assume the responsibilities currently held by DOE Environment and Heritage Service."

He continued:

“We will this morning urge the Minister to accept our findings and ask her to initiate a Review of Environmental Governance which would map the way forward to the creation of an EPA for Northern Ireland."

John Woods, Director (Northern Ireland) of Friends of the Earth said the consultation respondents had painted a grim picture:

"The responses described degraded wildlife sites and species in decline; raw sewage entering our rivers and seas; heritage buildings being neglected and demolished; and inappropriate or excessive development. Northern Ireland desperately needs to modernise its system of environmental protection and the best way to achieve this is to transfer responsibility for environmental protection to a body that is at arms-length from Government."

Notes

[1] (back) The coalition members are:
Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland
Friends of the Earth
National Trust
Northern Ireland Environment Link
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Ulster Wildlife Trust
Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust
Woodland Trust
WWF Northern Ireland

[2] (back) Here the job is done by Environment and Heritage Service, an Executive Agency within the Department of the Environment.

[3] (back) The consultation exercise was based on a report commissioned by the coalition, published on 1 April 2004. Transparency and Trust: Reforming Environmental Governance in Northern Ireland was written by Professor Richard Macrory CBE of University College London. His report is available at http://www.epconsultni.org.uk or in hard copy on request. The consultation exercise began on 1 April 2004 and ran until 30 June. More than 1000 organisations and individuals across the public, private, voluntary and community sectors were invited to respond. 106 responses were received and they were analysed independently of the coalition by Liz Fawcett Consulting. Her report, published on 19 October, is available at
http://www.epconsultni.org.uk or in hard copy on request.

Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland
7 Donegall Street Place
BELFAST
BT1 2FN
Tel: 028 9023 3488
Fax: 028 9024 7556
Email: foe-ni@foe.co.uk.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust