Alliance Environment spokesperson John Blair MLA has urged Secretary of State Hilary Benn to intervene to ensure the creation of an independent Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA).

Mr Blair noted that the establishment of the body was a commitment made by all major parties within the New Decade, New Approach agreement.

The comments come in advance of an Alliance motion scheduled for debate in the Assembly on Tuesday 10 March. The motion challenges the DUP's stance at the Executive, which Mr Blair described as an "anti-democratic" attempt to block progress on the agency.

John Blair MLA said: "Alliance has long-called for the establishment of an independent Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), given Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK currently without one. "This remains an outstanding commitment from the New Decade, New Approach agreement, and the Secretary of State must now act and help ensure it's finally done.

"Despite having signed up to this agreement, the DUP are happy to now have an Irish Sea border when it comes to environmental and social issues, blocking the IEPA at Executive despite overwhelming expertise calling for its establishment and it having the backing of the Assembly.

"This is something DAERA Minister Andrew Muir has been pushing for since taking up the role. He knows the cost of cleaning up environmental disasters far outweighs the cost of preventing them in the first place.

"This only reinforces the need to reform our institutions to remove the ability of one party to block and veto crucial progress like delivering an IEPA, which stands to benefit us all. We must now see meaningful steps taken by the Secretary of State to aid us in doing so."