Only the Green Party supported a proposal to establish an environmental protection agency (EPA), as part of the review of public administration (local government) in Northern Ireland.
The review of environmental governance examined a wider issue, but it is absolutely clear that the authors of that report saw an independent environmental protection agency as the key driver for changing environmental governance in Northern Ireland and for ensuring that progress is made. However, that was not just the view of the usual range of environmental non-governmental organisations; groups such as the Confederation of British Industry, the Quarry Products Association, and the Consumer Council all backed that call. We have seen in recent weeks that that is not just a good idea; it is now an essential idea. [...] I support the creation of an EPA — and I assure Members that this is a personal view, not a party view — because I believe that we need a strong independent voice to stand by the environment in Northern Ireland — a voice that will state, when things go wrong, that that cannot be allowed to continue. The EHS cannot do that because it is within the Government structures; if it tried to do so, it would be sat on, either by its own Department or by the greater Executive, and told not to rock the boat. [...] The review of environmental governance report of May 2007 advised the creation of an independent EPA. Our party’s submission to that review was delivered by my colleague Sam Gardiner. We supported the proposal at an evidence-gathering meeting of the environmental governance panel — a meeting from which the DUP and Sinn Féin were noticeably absent.