The Green Party has described the launch by the Minister of the Environment Sammy Wilson of the non-independent and non-protective Environmental Agency as a polluter’s charter.

Green Party Assembly Member Brian Wilson said: “Minister Wilson appears to believe that the current levels of protection are satisfactory and the main emphasis of this Agency will be about reducing regulation and protection of our environment – it constitutes nothing more than a polluter’s charter.”

Assembly Member Wilson said: “The new Agency, according to the Minister will have a ‘better understanding of how business thinks and operates’. I would suggest to the Minister that the new Agency needs to ‘better’ understand how to protect the environment and leave the protection of big business to his colleague in the Department of Enterprise. By his own admission the Minister views the role of the Better Regulation Board as ‘ensuring advantage is given to Northern Ireland industry’, again the Minister seems confused about his role.”