Motion

Blocking of an Independent Environmental Protection Agency

Motion TitleBlocking of an Independent Environmental Protection Agency

Motion TextThat this Assembly strongly condemns the blocking of the establishment of an Independent Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) by the Democratic Unionist Party; further condemns the hypocrisy of those who express concern over the Lough Neagh crisis, the illegal dump at Mobuoy and wider environmental degradation, but refuse to support plans to enhance environmental accountability and safeguards; notes that a commitment to an IEPA was contained within the New Decade, New Approach Deal; agrees that it is undemocratic for an IEPA to be unilaterally vetoed by one party which represents a minority in the Assembly as a whole; and calls on the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to take meaningful steps to ensure that the commitment in New Decade, New Approach is implemented.

Motion CategoryPrivate Members' Motion

Date Tabled to Business Office17/02/2026

Date Selected By Committee24/02/2026

Date of Plenary Debate10/03/2026

View Official Report

Tabled By

Member Name	Tabled As
Mr John Blair	MLA - South Antrim
Mr Eóin Tennyson	MLA - Upper Bann

Bills

Outcome/Voting

67 Members voted

44 Members voted AYE

23 Members voted NO

The Motion Was Carried, Simple Majority Lobby Division

MLA Name	Designation	Voted
Ms Kellie Armstrong	Other	AYE
Mr Danny Baker	Nationalist	AYE
Mr John Blair	Other	AYE
Mr Cathal Boylan	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Maurice Bradley	Unionist	NO
Ms Paula Bradshaw	Other	AYE
Mr Phillip Brett	Unionist	NO
Miss Nicola Brogan	Nationalist	AYE
Mr David Brooks	Unionist	NO
Ms Cheryl Brownlee	Unionist	NO
Mr Keith Buchanan	Unionist	NO
Mr Tom Buchanan	Unionist	NO
Mr Jonathan Buckley	Unionist	NO
Ms Joanne Bunting	Unionist	NO
Mr Robbie Butler	Unionist	AYE
Mrs Pam Cameron	Unionist	NO
Mr Gerry Carroll	Other	AYE
Mr Alan Chambers	Unionist	AYE
Mr Trevor Clarke	Unionist	NO
Mr Pádraig Delargy	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Stewart Dickson	Other	AYE
Mrs Linda Dillon	Nationalist	AYE
Mrs Diane Dodds	Unionist	NO
Miss Jemma Dolan	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Danny Donnelly	Other	AYE
Mr Stephen Dunne	Unionist	NO
Mr Mark Durkan	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Connie Egan	Other	AYE
Mrs Sinéad Ennis	Nationalist	AYE
Mrs Deborah Erskine	Unionist	NO
Mrs Ciara Ferguson	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Aoife Finnegan	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Diane Forsythe	Unionist	NO
Mr Paul Frew	Unionist	NO
Mr Timothy Gaston	Unionist	NO
Mr Colm Gildernew	Nationalist	AYE
Mrs Michelle Guy	Other	AYE
Mr Harry Harvey	Unionist	NO
Mr Gerry Kelly	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Brian Kingston	Unionist	NO
Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly	Unionist	NO
Mr Gordon Lyons	Unionist	NO
Mr Declan McAleer	Nationalist	AYE
Miss Nuala McAllister	Other	AYE
Mr Daniel McCrossan	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Patsy McGlone	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Colin McGrath	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Philip McGuigan	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Maolíosa McHugh	Nationalist	AYE
Miss Michelle McIlveen	Unionist	NO
Ms Sinéad McLaughlin	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Andrew McMurray	Other	AYE
Mr Justin McNulty	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Peter McReynolds	Other	AYE
Mr Peter Martin	Unionist	NO
Mrs Cathy Mason	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Nick Mathison	Other	AYE
Mr Andrew Muir	Other	AYE
Miss Áine Murphy	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Carál Ní Chuilín	Nationalist	AYE
Mr John O'Dowd	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Matthew O'Toole	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Pat Sheehan	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Emma Sheerin	Nationalist	AYE
Mr John Stewart	Unionist	AYE
Mr Eóin Tennyson	Other	AYE
Mr Gareth Wilson	Unionist	NO

Amendments

Number	Tabled Date	Amendment Text
1	05/03/2026	After ‘New Decade, New Approach Deal;’ insert: ‘regrets that this commitment was not reaffirmed as part of the restoration of the Executive in February 2024, or included in the Executive’s Programme for Government;’

Petition Of Concern

Assembly Business

MLAs

Opposition in the Assembly

Questions

Plenary

Committees

Official Report

Index Terms

Legislation

Motion

Blocking of an Independent Environmental Protection Agency

Find Your MLA

News and Media Centre

Follow the Assembly

Subscribe