A leading environmental pressure group has given a mixed reaction to leaked plans for a major shake-up in the way Northern Ireland is governed. Details were revealed by Friends of the Earth (FoE) this month, of proposals by the Northern Ireland Office to reduce the number of Government departments from 11 to six. This includes merging the existing Environment, Agriculture and Regional Development Departments into a new Department for Sustainable Development and Energy. The leaked plans will form the basis of a reorganisation push by Secretary of State Peter Hain, if current efforts to restore devolution are unsuccessful.
Spokesperson for FoE, Lisa Fagan said "This proposal is something of a curate's egg, good in parts. We welcome the alignment of environment with planning, transport and energy because joined up policy making in these critical areas ought to produce the best outcomes for the environment. We are not convinced, however, of the merits of including agriculture in the new department." This view was backed by the Ulster Farmers' Union, who feel it would be more beneficial if the rural industries, like farming, fishing and forestry, were retained in separate departments.
