DEARA Minister Announces 20 Key Actions To Save Lough Neagh

Twenty key actions to address the environmental emergency at Lough Neagh have been announced by Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir.

The Minister said that these were actions his department would take to improve water quality, address the challenges in Lough Neagh and tackle blue green algae (BGA).

Minister Muir made the announcement in the Assembly, highlighting that many of the DAERA actions were already underway and those remaining will be taken forward by his Department as soon as possible.

The 20 DAERA actions form part of the wider Lough Neagh Report and Action Plan which is currently under consideration by the Executive. The 20 measures announced today are DAERA-only actions and do not require Executive approval.

Speaking of the announcement Minister Muir said: "Lough Neagh is of huge importance to people here. It is our most important natural resource, supplies 40% of our drinking water and its significance to those who depend on the Lough for business and recreational purposes cannot be overstated.

"Whilst the wider Lough Neagh Report and Action Plan remains under consideration by the Executive colleagues I have a responsibility to ensure that the actions that my Department can take are taken and taken at pace. The time for action is now.

"I will continue to engage with Executive colleagues to secure agreement on the remaining issues within the report, but the situation is such that it is important to take the necessary action that we can now.

"We know that the policies and programmes we have advanced in the past have contributed to creating the impacts we are now witnessing. We also know that excess nutrients in the environment cause pollution in our waterways and we also know the main contributing sources are agriculture and, to a lesser but still significant extent, wastewater, from both treatment works and septic tanks.

"I am committed to improve water quality, address the challenges in Lough Neagh and tackle blue green algae and have already allocated £7.5million towards this, however, further investment will be needed not only in the short but in the longer term. Inadequate funding will have a detrimental impact on implementing the interventions needed."

The actions announced today, and those remaining within the Lough Neagh Action plan, are grouped into four key pillars:

• Education: empowering knowledge and skills and encouraging best practice;

• Incentivisation: investment and innovation aimed at motivating, and funding actions which will drive the adoption of behavioural change;

• Regulation: our statutory obligation to protect the quality of our water; and

• Enforcement: taking strong, meaningful action when compliance with regulation fails.

The Minister concluded: "The issues surrounding the Lough and the wider water environment are complex and very challenging. Addressing these issues will require changes in our behaviours and practices and I am determined to build and sustain a culture of environmental responsibility fostering an attitude of zero tolerance to pollution."