AQW 3434/16-21

Mr Steven Agnew
Green Party
North Down

Tabled Date: 19/09/2016
Answered On Date: 04/10/2016
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs whether they will expedite the public inquiry into environmental crime, first agreed by the Assembly in March 2014.

Answer:

As I have stated on a number of occasions, including AQW 1778/16-21, the previous Executive had considered suggestions for a public inquiry into waste management and disposal arrangements in Northern Ireland, prompted by the discovery of illegal dumping at Mobouy. However, in light of the focus on dealing with the issues through implementation of the Mills Report, concern about the undefined costs of an inquiry and ensuring that any criminal proceedings were able to take their course, no agreement was reached before the end of the last mandate.

My Department will continue to focus on ensuring that the improvements emanating from the Mills review are built upon, and to develop remediation plans for the Mobuoy site.