AQW 9036/17-22

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 19/10/2020
Answered On Date: 17/11/2020
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs when his Department plans to appoint members of the Office for Environmental Protection in Northern Ireland.

Answer:

The commencement of the Environment Bill provisions relating to the extension of the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) to Northern Ireland is subject to the future approval of the Assembly. DAERA officials are however engaged in preparatory work with Defra to consider detailed operational arrangements, including staffing requirements, job descriptions and the recruitment processes.

As a result of the Covid-19 crisis the passage of the Bill through Parliament has been subject to delays with the Committee Stage due to resume on 3 November 2020. These delays have made the aim of having the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) fully operational by 1 January 2021 much more challenging. It is obviously prudent to prepare for the possibility that this target date may not be met and to that end, my officials are working closely with their Defra counterparts on a range of issues, including the potential need for interim staffing arrangements to handle complaints from the public that would fall under the OEP’s remit