Members of the NI Assembly have been urged by DAERA Minister Andrew Muir to support the establishment of a new environmental regulator in NI.

Speaking at Stormont on Tuesday, Minister Muir said he wanted to gauge the level of support among political parties before launching a public consultation on the matter.

“I need support, in principle, for an independent environmental protection agency. Now is the time for a decision on that. Once we get that agreed, hopefully we will move to consultation,” he said.

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It comes after an expert panel appointed by Minister Muir recommended an overhaul of the current NI Environment Agency (NIEA), which is part of DAERA.

Last month, the three-person panel proposed that enforcement powers within NIEA should be moved to a new independent environmental regulator.

On Tuesday, Minister Muir said there is “a window of opportunity” to get the new regulator established before the next Assembly election, which is currently scheduled for May 2027.

However, while voicing support for the new agency, SDLP MLA Matthew O’Toole suggested that it was “highly unlikely” that the body would be set up by the next election.

“That looks very challenging in getting Executive support and getting it through the Assembly in the requisite time,” the South Belfast MLA said.

The discussion in the NI Assembly chamber on Tuesday would suggest that receiving support from other political parties is likely to be a significant hurdle for Minister Muir.

While representatives from Sinn Féin expressed support for the new environmental regulator, there was a much more muted response from the DUP.

“If the Department cannot adequately fund what is currently in place, how can we expect a new, additional organisation to be properly funded to carry out its functions?” said DUP MLA Michelle McIlveen.