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Staff in the NI Environment Agency (NIEA) have taken 869 flights costing £119,108 over the past five years, according to figures published last week as part of a freedom of information request.
The document on the DAERA website indicates that the number of flights taken by NIEA staff each year has been increasing for the past four years.
The sharpest year on year rise was in 2018/19 when NIEA staff caught 255 flights. This is almost 50% more than the 174 flights recorded in 2017/18 and is over twice the level seen in 2015/2016 when 122 flights were taken.
NIEA is an agency within DAERA and its stance on air pollution, particularly on ammonia emissions from agriculture, has been a point of contention with farmer representatives, including the Ulster Farmers’ Union.
A total of 93% of flights by NIEA staff were to destinations within the UK or Ireland.
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