The OEP has completed its investigation in relation to a key plan following the plan’s recent publication by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), it announced today [Tuesday, October 22].
The Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP), which is a legal requirement under the Environment Act 2021, was due to be laid before the Northern Ireland Assembly and published by 25 July 2023. The OEP found in its investigation that DAERA had failed to comply with environmental law by failing to publish the EIP by the statutory deadline.
The delay in the plan being published led to the OEP launching an investigation in June [2024] into DAERA’s failure to adopt an EIP. The OEP also issued DAERA with an Information Notice as part of its investigation’s enforcement process. The matter had been brought before the Northern Ireland Executive, a number of times, by DAERA Minister Andrew Muir earlier this year but was not agreed until September [2024].
Natalie Prosser, the OEP’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), said: “The publication of Northern Ireland’s first EIP is a welcome step towards this Government achieving its environmental goals. Our investigation confirms that DAERA failed to comply with environmental law by not publishing the EIP by the legal deadline. Now that the EIP has been published, that breach of environmental law is no longer ongoing and we have therefore concluded our investigation.”
Speaking about the importance of an EIP Ms Prosser added: “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.”
The OEP will now shift its focus to work on assessing government’s EIP progress.
The CEO added: “Although the EIP’s publication marks the end of our investigation, it subsequently triggers the start of our legal duty to monitor and report on this Government’s progress towards delivering its environmental goals laid out in its plan. As part of our role, we will make this progress report annually to the Assembly.
“As part of our assessment, we will also examine the EIP’s effectiveness at dealing with concerning environmental trends and its impact on protecting and improving the environment.”
An OEP evidence report published last week [Tuesday, October 15] found the current pressures on Northern Ireland’s nature are unsustainable, prompting a call from the organisation for urgent action to reverse generations of environmental degradation.
Ms Prosser added: “Now is such a crucial time for Northern Ireland’s environment as shown by the evidence in our recent report on the drivers and pressures of biodiversity loss.
“With the EIP now in place, it is vital that it is supported by ambitious implementation plans and strategies that provide the detail for how protection and improvement of the environment will be realised in practice. This includes the Nutrients Action Programme, River Basin Management Plans, Nature Recovery Strategy, and Farming with Nature scheme. We also await the carbon budgets and Climate Action Plan, which will help to complete the picture of environmental governance for Northern Ireland.
“These should help drive the much-needed, tangible improvement to Northern Ireland’s environment so its people can enjoy the health and wealth benefits it can provide now and in the future.”
