DAERA’s Science, Research and Development Support and Funding Authority

The Agriculture Act (Northern Ireland) 1949 (c.2 (N.I.))

• Section 5 (education and research).
• Section 12 (miscellaneous grants for agricultural purposes).

The Environment (Northern Ireland) Order 2002/3153 (N.I.7)

• Article 7 (financial assistance by Department)
• Article 8 (interpretation)

Powers in this Order were originally granted to the then Department of Environment.

The Financial Provision (Northern Ireland) Order 2004 /3326 (N.I.22)

• Article 3(1) empowers the Department of Environment, now DAERA, to incur expenditure for any purpose to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development.

• There is no definition of “sustainable development” within the Order. This has been adopted in UK usage to mean the goal to enable all people throughout the world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy a better quality of life without compromising the life of future generations.

Under the most recent reorganisation by the Departments (Northern Ireland) Act 2016 (c.2 (N.I.)) the Departments of Environment and of Agricultural and Rural Development amalgamated under the new departmental organisation and title of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (“DAERA”).

Older references may note the Ministry, the Department of the Environment and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.