Natalie Prosser, the OEP’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said: “We welcome the adoption of Northern Ireland’s first Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP). We recognise the key role it plays in protecting and improving the environment and have been calling for its publication and implementation since before the restoration of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
“An EIP is crucial as it should provide the roadmap for how this Government will tackle the significant and pressing environmental challenges it faces, such as the current environmental crisis at Lough Neagh. This EIP should drive the delivery of how Northern Ireland’s environment is to be significantly improved now and in the future.”
She added: “Now the EIP is published we will take stock of how our previous advice given to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) on how to improve the plan has been addressed.
“We can also begin our work to monitor and report on progress towards delivering the EIP and the impact it has on protecting and improving the environment. As part of our role, we will make this progress report annually to the Assembly.”
An EIP is a legal requirement under the Environment Act 2021 and was due to be published and laid before the Northern Ireland Assembly by 25 July 2023. The matter had been brought before the Northern Ireland Executive, a number of times, by DAERA Minister Andrew Muir earlier this year but had not been agreed until now.
Suspecting a breach of environmental law, the OEP launched an investigation into DAERA’s failure to adopt an EIP in June [2024]. The OEP also issued DAERA with an Information Notice as part of its investigation’s enforcement process.
Ms Prosser added: “We previously received a written commitment from the First and deputy First Ministers that the Northern Ireland Executive was treating an EIP as a matter of urgency. We also noted the inclusion of an EIP in the recently published draft Programme for Government.
“We welcome government’s delivery on these commitments, and importantly in rectifying this failure to comply with environmental law.”
