Costing the Earth
36 MLAs have signed a motion calling on the Environment Minister Arlene Foster to set up an independent Environmental Protection Agency within the lifetime of this assembly. But interviewed for tomorrow's Inside Politics, she says she is still awaiting detailed costings for setting up such an agency. We also discuss the Giants Causeway, her intention to overhaul the Planning Service and her views on the SDLP-UUP internal opposition.
Inside Politics is broadcast on Radio Ulster at 12.45pm.
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Lets hope that she also compares the cost of setting up an EPA with the cost of fines from the EU from not complying with legislation, and the environmental cost of having an ineffective enforcer as at present (this also has an indirect economic cost). Then there is the cost of legal challenges, such as that to the Northern Area plan recently, for not consulting an independent body.
Bit of a no-brainer to anyone with an ounce of common sense (obviously the review of environmental governance has gone in the bin).
I see no DUPers have managed to bring themselves to sign this motion - what a surprise. Other than them there seems to be poitical consensus on this issue.
An EPA is too radical for the DUP. Clearly. I mean we must be a special case and our uniquely 'pants' structure is much better than most other countries in the western world.
So that's it buried and we all know what is being hatched up currently - an argument that an EPA would be too costly - the public will buy it and it will be sold to them in that vein. So as Matt says, we will just firefight for years and see infraction fines piling in from Europe. The environment hasn't a chance. NI will be left behind - just when the rest of the world is putting such issues to the forefront.
Yours despairingly.