Alliance has called for an independent Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to protect Northern Ireland's natural environment.

Alliance Agriculture and Environment spokesperson, John Blair MLA, said that the creation of an independent EPA would assist the urgently required review of all policies and practices that impact Lough Neagh and its ecosystems. Mr Blair noted that an independent EPA has been called for by Alliance for a long time and "has been previously committed to by all parties in New Decade New Approach".

Mr Blair made the comments after a Save Lough Neagh rally in Belfast. The protest aimed to prompt urgent action from the relevant authorities such as DAERA, NIEA, and NI Water on tackling the Lough Neagh ecological crisis.

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In a statement, Mr Blair said: "It remains absolutely crucial that DAERA, NIEA, and other agencies with responsibility for the Lough, remain focused not only on dealing with the current very visible blue green algae issue, but also on both identifying the cause of the problem and working towards possible long-term solutions. The actions that have been promised to deal with this in the short term must also become a longer term inter-departmental action plan, led by DAERA, to ensure that we do better for the Lough, its vital ecosystems, and the local communities surrounding it."

The South Antrim MLA stated that the message from campaigners and local activists at the rally is a "stark reminder of how much more could be done and a lot more quickly if the DUP would get back to work and allow local ministers to prioritise local problems, scrutinised by but also working with the MLAs elected 18 months ago to serve Northern Ireland."