Andrew Muir
North Down · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“Thank you very much, Mr Deputy Speaker. As Minister, I am grateful to the Chair of the Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee and to Members from all sides of the Chamber for their consideration of the Bill and their contributions to the debate, which have been valuable and useful.”
“I will write to you with regard to your query. <BR /> <BR />The other issue, as I said, is reporting pollution incidents so that they can be effectively investigated. There is a duty on everyone to do that promptly.”
“Aquaculture provides real economic opportunities, and the Bill will help ensure that those opportunities are realised responsibly without compromising the environment. Importantly, the Bill includes transitional provisions so that existing licences can continue seamlessly as aquaculture licences, with their conditions unchanged.”
“That is not about being punitive for its own sake; it is about ensuring that the legal framework reflects the true value of our natural resources and the importance of protecting them for future generations.”
“<BR /> <BR />On strengthening the regulation of inland waters, the Bill modernises long-standing powers under the Fisheries Act (Northern Ireland) 1966, ensuring that they are fit for today's environmental and industry challenges. That matters because fisheries management today goes far beyond simply catching fish.”
“<BR /> <BR />A full regulatory impact assessment of the financial impact has been completed. It concluded that the Bill does not introduce significant new financial burdens and that any costs are outweighed by the long-term benefits.”
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“That includes £2 million of resource for the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, which will fund, among other things, the recruitment of additional staff, with a firm focus on enforcement and on other work on Lough Neagh. I also welcome the additional £1·5 million provided from the June monitoring round to support actions in the environmental improvement plan that relate to Lough Neagh. <BR /> <BR />I am also conscious of the ownership issue and its importance to many people. My preference is for community ownership. I am aware that the Lough Neagh Partnership (LNP) is undertaking research and an initiative on the future management and ownership of the lough. I intend to engage actively with that initiative, and I have sought a further meeting with the Earl of Shaftesbury, following his recent comments on the matter.”
“A fertiliser database is also proposed in order to record fertiliser movements, just like that which has been successfully introduced across the border. In all the areas that I am talking about today, science and research will have an important role to play, as will learning from good practice by looking North, South, east, west and beyond. <BR /> <BR />Tackling the problems at Lough Neagh will require significant investment. My Department, like all other Departments, is working to a very tight budget that is underpinned by significant resource pressures. Nevertheless, I am reprioritising to ensure that we make a start on turning the crisis around. I have already made £6 million available for Lough Neagh from my Department's budget. That is £2·8 million for resource and £3·2 million for capital investment.”
“I am also working with the Minister of Finance on the future agriculture budget from Westminster and with the Minister for the Economy on wider issues such as skills. <BR /> <BR />Restricting the use of chemical fertilisers containing phosphorous on grassland falls within the category of actions that require Executive approval. I am more than happy to take questions on that issue, because the realities of what is being proposed are way off that which has been misunderstood. Where chemical fertilisers containing phosphorous are not needed, we will seek to save the environment and the farmer, financially, by using science and evidence, including the soil nutrient health scheme, to achieve a reduction in usage, which I feel that there is scope to do.”
“Strong relationships are key to doing that, and I will not be found wanting in prioritising dialogue and engagement, nor will I seek to dodge difficult issues and look to kick cans down the road. It is important to be straight and clear with farmers about the science and the evidence as it presents itself and about what is needed to fix the challenges that we face together. To do otherwise would be disingenuous. I owe it to each and every farmer in Northern Ireland, the banks that lend to them and our supply chains to achieve a future in which the farming press oozes positivity every week and there is strong competition to get into farming as the career of choice for more and more people.”
“I will speak a little more about that issue, as I feel that it is important to dispel any myths or misunderstandings that may exist. The new way forward is key to giving farmers and our wider agri-food sector confidence that a strong, sustainable and successful future can be achieved. Change is essential to implementing that vision in the context of the biggest issue that is facing us all, namely climate change. How we deliver that change, which, I note, is already occurring at many farms across Northern Ireland, is of fundamental importance. A journey is already being travelled by many. <BR /> <BR />My Department and I, as Minister, are passionately determined to do that in partnership with farmers, processors, environmental NGOs and others.”
“<BR /> <BR />Whilst previous direction on agricultural policy may have been known as favouring intensification, direction is now clearly about sustainable — I emphasise "sustainable" — productivity, embedding the fact that environmental and economic sustainability are intertwined. Environmental sustainability, with improved and, importantly, sustainable productivity, building resilience and ensuring effective, functioning supply chains are at the core of the new farm support and development programme that was built through a process of co-design with stakeholders, with new schemes and measures being introduced at pace.”
“It will also include a farming with nature package to support farmers in efforts to protect and enhance water quality and reduce the risk of pollution arising from farmed land. <BR /> <BR />In keeping with my focus on education, we will bring forward new knowledge transfer schemes to replace the business development groups and farm family key skills, which have recently come to an end, and a new innovative package of training and support for agri-professionals that will help them better assist their farming clients in those and other areas. That is in addition to the training that the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) will provide for farmers to enable them to address water quality and build their understanding of nutrient management to significantly reduce losses of nitrogen and phosphorus into our waterways.”
“Ultimately, government has to take responsibility and acknowledge that what was advocated for decades has clearly had consequences. We accept the problem and are determined to fix it together. <BR /> <BR />My Department's new farm support and development programme is designed to move us from where we are and where we have been to a much more sustainable farming sector. It will prioritise and drive approaches that benefit our environment, address ammonia- and phosphorus-related issues, reduce the risk of pollution and help deliver the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that the law now requires, and it will do so while supporting our economically significant agri-food sector.”
“The protocol, which is available on the Department's website, sets out the roles and responsibilities of organisations and individuals, provides guidance on how water users should consider blue-green algae risk and details how my Department is monitoring bloom events this year. This is the first year of operation, and the approach will be reviewed at the end of the season. <BR /> <BR />I now turn to farm support. Whilst agriculture has contributed to the nutrient loading in Lough Neagh over the past century and more, we must recognise that our farmers will provide a significant part of the solution in delivering the mitigating actions. It is both unfair and wrong to castigate farmers as part of some sort of entirely unproductive and divisive blame game.”
“My vision is to, instead, view slurry and manure as a resource that is processed sustainably, generating, for example, electricity plus by-products for export. We can do that because there are many examples of such practices already in action. We will also establish and deliver a livestock dietary emissions challenge through the DEFRA-led dairy demonstrator project, to formulate and test on-farm livestock diets that reduce ammonia emissions, phosphorus losses and greenhouse gases in dairy herds. It is anticipated that contracts will be awarded very soon. <BR /> <BR />My Department has already put in place an inter-agency monitoring protocol for blue-green algae in collaboration with AFBI, the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the Food Standards Authority (FSA).”
“Any solution, however, must not contribute to further environmental degradation and must comply with legislation and environmental designations. My intention is to launch the SBRI in the coming weeks. To date, 44 individuals and companies have come forward with different solutions to the blue-green algae in Lough Neagh. <BR /> <BR />A further small business research initiative project will be taken forward to improve the sustainable utilisation of livestock slurry and develop demonstrator sites to process livestock manure and slurry. The plan is to announce that project soon. It is one of a range of measures to reduce phosphorus inputs from agricultural sources. <BR /> <BR />Put simply, we have a problem with slurry and manure. There is too much of it, and it is part of the cause of the nutrient overload in Lough Neagh.”
“<BR /> <BR />I intend to continue my engagement with colleagues in Ireland and to go to see their agricultural sustainability, support and advisory programme (ASSAP) in practice. That initiative targets areas with poor water quality in order to turn that around. There are real benefits to learning lessons from what is happening across the border and seeing how we can incorporate such one-to-one engagement with the agricultural community in areas of Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />My Department is also leading on a small business research initiative (SBRI) to explore potential feasible, innovative and affordable solutions to treat or reduce blue-green algae blooms. It should be recognised that there is scope for physical, chemical or biological solutions or a combination of those.”
“I was immediately convinced of the benefits and, hence, want to see a wider roll-out, funding permitting. <BR /> <BR />The third cycle of the river basin management plan and programme of measures will be reviewed as an overall water quality improvement strategy for DAERA. I will bring a revised river basin management plan to the Executive as soon as possible. <BR /> <BR />Officials have been commissioned to undertake an independent scientific review of the environmental impact of sand extraction on the Lough Neagh environment. That is part of a wider programme of work to better understand the pressures on Lough Neagh and how they interact, and to inform a conservation management plan with measures to restore ecological balance and resilience.”
“<BR /> <BR />My officials are ensuring that education and training programmes include water quality monitoring outreach programmes to deliver upon the detailed nutrient status of their soils provided by the innovative soil nutrient health scheme. My Department also plans to provide training in compliance and environmental performance to slurry-spreading contractors. We will deliver a Lough Neagh catchment-wide awareness campaign on education and enforcement practices through a departmental mailshot to raise awareness. We will scope the expansion of the sustainable catchment programme into the Lough Neagh catchment areas. That already operates successfully in the Upper Bann catchment area, for example, which I visited on-site a few weeks ago. I was greatly encouraged to meet farmers, the Rivers Trust, AFBI and Ulster University staff.”
“<BR /> <BR />Going into more detail, the plan, as drafted, contains 37 actions, some of which require Executive approval because they are new or because they cut across the responsibilities of more than one Department. My focus, today, is on briefing Members on the 20 actions that are not in that category, and which DAERA is now delivering. We are advancing, at pace, a review of the nutrients action programme (NAP). My officials will continue to engage with stakeholders on proposals for the revised action programme as part of the review process. Revised NAP regulations could be available for introduction in early 2025.”
“The second is incentivisation: investment and innovation aimed at motivating and funding actions that will drive the adoption of behavioural change. The third is regulation: our statutory obligation to protect the quality of our water. The last is, importantly, enforcement: taking strong and meaningful action when compliance with regulation fails. That sequencing reflects the principle of early intervention: take action first, to try to make sure that problems do not occur or get worse, and do that through education, incentivising the right behaviours and effective regulation. However, have no doubt: where enforcement is needed because people are not complying with the conditions of funding, or are breaking the law, my Department and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) will not hesitate to take enforcement action.”
“I can confirm that the action plan has been informed by the work of the science advisory group, the core membership of which comprises scientists and professional experts from universities and science organisations across the UK and Ireland. The report sets out the various factors that came together to such devastating effect in 2023. Pollution, namely excess phosphorus and nitrogen entering our waterways; climate change resulting in record high water temperature; and the presence of zebra mussels — an invasive species known to disrupt ecosystems by impacting water clarity — all contributed to last year's crisis at Lough Neagh. <BR /> <BR />The report proposes that actions are grouped within four key pillars. The first is education: empowering knowledge and skills, and encouraging best practice.”
“While it would be inappropriate to publish a report and action plan that are currently under Executive consideration, I can assure Members that it was developed through joint working by my Department and other Departments, particularly the Department for Infrastructure and the Department of Justice. I can also provide assurance that it contains evidence-based actions underpinned by science that will aim to tackle the immediate issue of the blue-green algae blooms in the lough and secure longer-term improvements in water quality across Northern Ireland. Ensuring that the actions are evidence-based was absolutely crucial.”
“That is why my first priority was to bring to the Executive Northern Ireland's first environmental improvement plan (EIP), which includes a clear focus on water quality. I brought that to the Executive in March. The EIP is a wide-ranging plan for significantly improving the natural environment and is a statutory requirement under the Environment Act 2021. It was consulted on as a draft environment strategy and, once Executive approval has been obtained, it will be published as Northern Ireland's first environment strategy and laid in the Assembly. The statutory deadline to adopt the EIP passed in July 2023. The Lough Neagh report complements and supports the actions and targets in the EIP. <BR /> <BR />I turn now to the work that we have in hand.”
“A scientific report from October 2020, 'Phosphorus Stock and Flows in the Northern Ireland Food System', which is on the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) website, attributes high nutrient — phosphorus — levels in Northern Ireland's waterbodies to three main sources: 62% from agriculture, 24% from waste water treatment works and 12% from septic tanks. Provisional Lough Neagh-specific source apportionment data produced by AFBI follow a similar pattern. Given that we can identify the problem, we know that that is where the majority of the solutions lie. <BR /> <BR />Before I turn to the specifics of Lough Neagh, I want to make it clear that, given the size of Lough Neagh's catchment, actions to address the issues at the lough need to be Northern Ireland-wide, strategic and cross-cutting.”
“We have seen how the impact of the blooms can be devastating and wide-ranging, especially as they spread to other waterways, including our world-renowned beaches and coastline. The state of the lough has attracted not only local but national and international attention, and it is not the sort of attention that Northern Ireland wants or needs. <BR /> <BR />We know that the policies and programmes that we have advanced in the past have contributed to creating the impacts that we are now witnessing. We also know that excess nutrients in the environment cause pollution in our waterways, and that the main contributing sources are agriculture and, to a lesser but still significant extent, waste water from treatment works and septic tanks.”
“I want to express my thanks — my complete gratitude — to all the officials who have worked over many months on the report to bring it to the Chamber today. I am grateful to them for the work that they have done morning, noon and night on that, and for the work that they will do in the time ahead to implement the actions that we will talk about today. <BR /> <BR />Lough Neagh is of huge importance to people here. It is our most important natural resource and supplies 40% of our drinking water, and its significance to those who depend on the lough for business and recreational purposes cannot be overstated. The appearance in 2023, and recurrence this year, of algal blooms is well documented.”
“There are no quick fixes, but it is vital that we make a start. For that reason, a few weeks ago, I brought a Lough Neagh report and action plan to the Executive. While it remains under consideration by the Executive, I will continue to work with my Executive colleagues to obtain their approval as soon as possible. I have a responsibility to ensure that the actions that my Department can take, and those that are not reliant upon Executive approval, are taken, and taken at pace. The time for action is now. <BR /> <BR />Before we embark on our summer recess, I want to update Members on the work that is under way in my Department and the work that we will take forward in the coming months.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity to make a statement to the Assembly on the Lough Neagh report and action plan. <BR /> <BR />I am very conscious of the level of interest from Members and the wider public in improving water quality across Northern Ireland and, particularly, in our efforts to address the very specific and concerning challenges that we see on and around Lough Neagh. Addressing and improving water quality in Lough Neagh was, therefore, rightly identified as a key priority for the Executive at our first meeting. <BR /> <BR />We are all, I think, clear in our recognition that the issues and challenges that are associated with Lough Neagh will not be resolved overnight, nor will they be resolved by my Department alone. They need a strategic, evidence-based and cross-government approach. That is a long-term project.”
“I am here to answer questions on agriculture, environment and rural affairs. Those other matters are for outside the Chamber. <BR /> <BR />When the institutions were established in 1998, it was an oversight that no body existed to cover Lough Neagh. Navigation is not one of the key issues in the Lough Neagh report, but I get that, and I want to engage with colleagues on it over the time ahead. Let us be clear: my immediate focus is on the water quality issues that are associated with Lough Neagh and taking immediate action on that, but I get that it is rather unusual that Lough Neagh has not been covered by a body such as the Loughs Agency or Waterways Ireland. That needs to be considered, so it is a legitimate point to make.”
“I understand that discussions between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London and the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ireland have recently recommenced on a draft management agreement that would enable authorities to exercise criminal and regulatory discussions about the bed of Lough Foyle. Those discussions are positive, but progress needs to be made soon to prevent further impacts on the environment and to enable the Loughs Agency to regulate aquaculture in Lough Foyle. <BR /> <BR />I will focus on solutions to the issue with any new Government that come in on 5 July. It has been going on for quite a while. I believe that there are potential solutions, but they are a reserved matter.”
“I thank the Member for his question. That was one of the issues that I was briefed about in my first weeks in post. There are lots of things in the Department that I have to deal with, including issues arising from partition in 1921. I do not know whether I have an immediate solution to that. Other people may say that they do, but it is an ongoing issue with the Loughs Agency and what is essentially unregulated oyster farming in Lough Foyle. It is inextricably linked to the jurisdictional issue, which is a reserved matter. It is not within the competence of my Department or the Northern Ireland Assembly. <BR /> <BR />I am aware of the concerns about it. Officials from my Department met the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in October 2023 to discuss the challenges.”
“There are too many pollution incidents, and, as an Assembly, an Executive and a society, we need to make sure that we have a zero-tolerance approach to pollution and encourage people to report such incidents so we can investigate them.”
“<BR /> <BR />On fish kills, if people become aware of any, I urge them to urgently report them to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) and its pollution hotline, because it is important such issues are investigated. One of the reasons behind the resources that I have been putting into enforcement in my Department is that investigating such issues to get a level of evidence that would be satisfactory to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) to take forward a prosecution is extremely resource-intensive. That is why we need to have resources to do the investigations around us. It is therefore key that people report, and then, hopefully, we will have the resources to investigate.”
“This is an issue of concern, and it has been reported in the media. I will go back to the Member with further information on the River Roe. Investigations are ongoing. That is yet another fish kill in Northern Ireland, and there have been too many of those, not just in recent years but in recent weeks. That is why we need to be able to take a clear approach to the issue of water quality and why the Lough Neagh report and action plan is key. It is about that balanced approach between education and incentivisation, as well as regulation and enforcement. That can be used as a model for other rivers, lakes and loughs in Northern Ireland affected by water quality issues. It is absolutely fundamental.”
“There were quite a lot of corporate governance matters to be regularised as part of the meeting. That is what happens when the Assembly does not sit and the institutions collapse: these things build up. That is why I was keen to come to the Assembly after the meeting to give an update, because sometimes there is a bit of a lag between the meeting and the update. <BR /> <BR />At the meeting, the NSMC approved the Loughs Agency's 2024 business plan and associated budget. The NSMC also approved the 2023-25 corporate plan and the 2023 and 2022 business plans, and the Loughs Agency annual report and accounts for 2019, 2020 and 2021 were noted. I will make enquiries on the other matters the Member outlined and come back to her, because it is important that I am able to give a full response.”
“The climate action plan sets out clear climate ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 and to be a net zero and climate-resilient agency by 2050. The Loughs Agency plans to implement nature-based solutions to address the loss of biodiversity, including the implementation of buffer strips, tree planting, constructed wetlands and habitat improvement schemes. <BR /> <BR />The Loughs Agency launched the plan at our meeting, and it outlines a number of initiatives, including in relation to buildings and property; travel and fleet; catchment adaptation and biodiversity; supply chains; and people, stakeholders and communities. I will come back to the Member on the engagement that has taken place around that and what is planned for the time ahead. It is an important question, and I will give her a fuller answer on that.”
“I am aware of the issue that the Member has outlined. I will write to him and outline some more information on that, because it is a bit complex and there are potentially some legal issues around it. If that is OK, I will engage with him and get that letter off this week.”
“That is a matter for the First Minister and deputy First Minister. What goes on in Stormont Castle is a matter for them to respond to.”
“The Council welcomed the agency's continued commitment to scientific excellence through research, including its work with international partners on key projects, including the strategic infrastructure for improved animal tracking in European seas or "STRAITS" project — we are good at acronyms in the Department — the north-east Atlantic tracking network or "NorTrack" project; and the digital twin of the ocean animal tracking (DTO-Track) project and its work to establish the cross-border marine observation network using acoustic telemetry to monitor key marine species. <BR /> <BR />The NSMC agreed to hold its next aquaculture and marine meeting late in 2024.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Loughs Agency's climate action plan was launched at the meeting. The Council noted the importance of the work of the Loughs Agency in addressing the impacts of climate change on the aquatic systems, flora and fauna in the Foyle and Carlingford catchments. The Council welcomed Loughs Agency's contribution to addressing climate change and the loss of biodiversity and its commitment to supporting obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in both jurisdictions, including through the use of nature-based solutions for catchment management. <BR /> <BR />The NSMC commended Loughs Agency for its positive advances in data, knowledge and marine research following the successful completion of the SeaMonitor project. Ministers noted the presentation on Loughs Agency participation in international research projects.”
“The Council noted the review of the framework for processing Loughs Agency emergency regulations and agreed that the framework is not required for the Loughs Agency to carry out emergency functions. <BR /> <BR />The Council welcomed the adoption of the science strategy framework, which provides research to inform management decisions on the management and conservation of salmonid and other fish stocks, native oysters and aquatic ecosystems. The NSMC noted the multidisciplinary nature of Loughs Agency scientific delivery and the importance of taking an ecosystem-based approach to the management of the Foyle and Carlingford catchments. Ministers agreed that the Loughs Agency will provide an update on activity under its science strategy at the next meeting in the sector.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Council approved Loughs Agency business plans, budgets and cash grants for 2022, 2023 and 2024, as well as the Loughs Agency three-year corporate plan. Those approvals regularise spend for plans that were unable to be approved in the absence of the NSMC. The NSMC noted that all plans were completed in accordance with guidance issued by the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and that they have been agreed by sponsor Departments and Finance Ministers. <BR /> <BR />The Council noted Loughs Agency annual reports and accounts for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021, which have been laid before the Northern Ireland Assembly and both Houses of the Oireachtas.”
“It is a joint endeavour, as everyone knows. <BR /> <BR />The NSMC welcomed the report on the activities of the Loughs Agency, including its ongoing conservation and protection efforts, and the investment in the agency's scientific fisheries monitoring programme, including the introduction of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence. Ministers noted, in particular, the fisheries improvement projects that help to address climate change and biodiversity loss; the successfully delivered CatchmentCARE and shared waters enhancement and loughs legacy (SWELL) projects; the wide range of environmental education and outreach programmes; and the pioneering work undertaken in the SeaMonitor project to improve marine research and produce the first Atlantic salmon management plan for the island of Ireland.”
“With your permission, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, in compliance with section 52 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, I wish to make a statement about the thirty-first meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in the aquaculture and marine sectoral format, which was held on Monday 10 June. The Executive were represented by junior Minister Cameron and junior Minister Reilly, as accompanying Ministers, and by me, as lead Minister and chair of the meeting. The Irish Government were represented by Minister Ryan from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The statement has been agreed with junior Ministers Cameron and Reilly, and I make it on behalf of all of us. Again, I thank them for coming to the meeting and for working together on these issues and other matters.”
“That is why we also need reform of the institutions, so that, when they are back, they operate and deliver for people, and we do not have the politics of veto and blocking things.”
“There are real benefits to enshrining in law statutory targets for nature restoration. Ultimately, I have to work within a reduced mandate and reduced resources on that legislation and get agreement from Executive colleagues. There is discussion of a private Member's Bill; I attended an event recently on that. <BR /> <BR />I am up for doing anything we can to protect our environment, but I have to work with a tight budget, tight resources — as I have outlined, the officials dealing with Lough Neagh are also dealing with air quality — and a reduced mandate. The reduced mandate is the consequence of this place not sitting. We have lost two years, so we only really have three left from that mandate.”
“Ultimately, I will stand here as Minister and make a bid for funding for another Department: John O'Dowd and the Department for Infrastructure need more funding for waste water infrastructure so that we can invest in that infrastructure to improve water quality. I will stand with John at every opportunity to make that case, because that is how we will turn the situation around. That is where, I genuinely believe, we can work together to turn this around. I have seen what has happened in the South. I will go down South and see some of their initiatives and what they are doing, because, with practical interventions and by working together, we can turn the situation around, give people a bit of hope and move on from a blame game to solutions.”
“<BR /> <BR />Can I be clear about this, folks? My heart and soul are in education and incentivisation. It is much better that the problem does not occur in the first place and that we do not have to resort to enforcement. That is not where I want to go, OK? It is really important that I put this on the record: the overwhelming majority of farmers are good custodians of the countryside -— they are fantastic custodians of the countryside, and we would be lost without them -— but, if people are breaking the law, it is important that we take enforcement action. That is why I am talking about a balanced approach, but I really want to engage one-to-one with people and bring people with us. That is where my focus is on the issue. <BR /> <BR />The other aspect of bathing water quality is waste water infrastructure.”
“I thank the Member for her question. The issue of bathing water quality is close to my heart because it has been raised by constituents in North Down. Down South, there have been initiatives that target areas with poor water quality in order to turn it around. One of those, the ASSAP initiative (agricultural sustainability support and advisory programme) — I apologise for the acronym — involves one-to-one engagement with the agriculture community. That was one of the discussions in the meeting. There would be real benefits to expanding a similar scheme of one-to-one engagement led by the Rivers Trust in the upper Bann catchment area to other areas of Northern Ireland. I need funding to do that. I will engage with the Finance Minister on that, because one key way we can improve bathing water quality is by engaging with people.”
“The Lough Neagh report and action plan is balanced. It focuses on issues such as those we have outlined -— education, investment and incentivisation -— but it also talks about regulation and enforcement, and it is important we do that, because we have to take a balanced approach to the issues. Hopefully, everyone can come together. Let us have an Executive meeting on Thursday. Let us get the report and action plan agreed. Let us work together as an Executive and deliver for the citizens of Northern Ireland, because that is what the people want. I understand that people may have concerns about the way forward, and I am happy to engage with people, as I did last week on the issue. Together, we can turn the situation around, engage and match manifesto promises with actual delivery.”
“<BR /> <BR />Lots of parties have come forward to say that we need to take action on Lough Neagh, and I am up for doing so and for working with people to deliver that action. I will not shy away from difficult decisions. I will confront the difficult decisions that we need to take, because that is what we need to do to address the issues associated with water quality.”
“I brought the Lough Neagh report and action plan to the most recent meeting of the Executive, and it was discussed at that meeting. I was given some feedback, which included the need for further engagement with stakeholders. I did that: last Wednesday, I met Northern Ireland Environment Link (NIEL), the Lough Neagh Partnership, the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) and the Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers Association (NIAPA). I engaged with those organisations and received feedback. I will update the report and issue it to Executive colleagues, hopefully today. Hopefully, we can then get it agreed at the meeting on Thursday, because it is really important that we take action.”
“The Assembly and the Executive have been re-established, so let us use the institutions to deliver good for the people of Northern Ireland.”
“There are, however, issues that we will address as part of the report, and, as part of that work, I am taking forward an independent scientific review of the impact of sand dredging. It is important that we do that. <BR /> <BR />Let us view the situation as presenting us with lots of opportunities for action. I look forward to engaging with the Earl of Shaftesbury on the issue, but, most importantly, in the here and now, we need to get the Lough Neagh report and action plan agreed. Let us get it published and give people hope that we can deliver for the citizens of Northern Ireland by turning the situation around. I am aware of the scenes of blue-green algae in Lough Neagh that have been reported today.”