Mr. Ger Barry:

I thank the Cathaoirleach and the committee for inviting Cork County Council to discuss the recent fish mortalities in the River Blackwater. I am acting director of planning and environment for Cork County Council. I am accompanied by Mr. Alan Costello, who is a senior scientist in the planning and environmental directorate.

Cork County Council delivers certain statutory and regulatory inspections and monitoring programmes with respect to water quality protection. These programmes are outlined in the annual recommended minimum criteria for environmental inspections plan, also known as the RMCEI plan. The national enforcement priorities, NEPs, are identified by the EPA and underpin both the development and implementation of the council’s RMCEI plan. The 2025-27 NEPs programme identifies 15 priorities, including four in water, namely, pressures or risks from agricultural farmyards relating to soiled water, slurry collection and storage; pressures from agricultural farmlands relating to slurry and fertiliser spreading; section 4 discharge licences under the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts 1977 to 2007; and local water quality issues including septic tanks and private water supplies.

The RMCEI plan is subject to annual review and assessment by the EPA, with performance benchmarked against performance indicators and environmental outcomes across the local authority sector in the annual local authority performance framework report. Cork County Council's performance in environmental protection is also subject to audit by the EPA. The key statutory and regulatory functions of Cork County Council are across several sectoral activities, including monitoring of compliance with good agricultural practice regulations by reference to targets specified by the EPA in the national agricultural inspection plan, which is a national, risk-based inspection plan; licensing and ongoing regulation of low risk or risk trade effluent and sewage effluent discharges, as defined under section 4 of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Acts, which are not scheduled activities under the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1992; inspection of residential septic tanks in accordance with targets specified by the Environmental Protection Agency and the national inspection plan; and responding to and investigating reports or complaints relating to water pollution incidents and taking enforcement action, as appropriate, where Cork County Council is the competent authority and liaising with other agencies, where necessary. Cork County Council also supports the EPA water framework directive sampling programme by undertaking the collection of samples on behalf of the EPA and sending samples to the EPA for analysis.

Cork County Council was first notified by IFI of a reported fish incident at 12.15 p.m. on Monday, 11 August. A council officer attended the scene at 2.30 p.m. with an officer from IFI. Several dead and injured brown trout were observed by the council officer and IFI inspectors among seemingly unaffected fish. A visual inspection of the river was undertaken in the vicinity of the reported fish mortalities and upstream of Mallow bridge. No discharge or plume was evident. IFI shared its initial assessment suggesting a possible fungal outbreak or disease, exacerbated by low water levels and high temperatures, as early investigation yielded no signs of pollution. Investigations by both IFI and Cork County Council officers continued in order to ascertain the extent of the area impacted and what rivers could potentially be affected. The council carried out sampling at the River Clyda and River Blackwater on 12 August. Test results shared with other agencies showed that ammonia and dissolved oxygen levels were within normal range.

From 12 August through to 22 August, our investigation was primarily supporting IFI in its investigation to establish the scale and extent of the affected catchment and investigating reports from the public about activities that may be linked to the incident.

On 22 August, IFI confirmed, based on the Marine Institute’s findings, that the cause was not a fungal infection as previously suggested and the likely cause of the fish mortalities was an “environment insult or irritant”. Cork County Council attended the initial online interagency group meeting, chaired by IFI, on 25 August, consisting of agencies including the EPA, the Marine Institute and Uisce Éireann and eventually expanding to include the HSE, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, and LAWPRO. The interagency group meetings agreed specific actions, including further analysis of tissue samples by a contracted laboratory on behalf of IFI, as well as further catchment macroinvertebrate assessments at agreed locations. These assessments, undertaken by Cork County Council, the EPA and IFI, found no evidence of an impacted macroinvertebrate population.

Between 13 August and 27 August, Cork County Council staff inspected 20 light industrial and commercial sites within the catchment, comprising businesses licensed under section 4 of the Local Government (Water Pollution) Act, and other commercial operators. No issues were identified that might have given rise to the incident. Cork County Council undertook 14 investigations of agricultural activities within the catchment. These investigations established no causal link with this incident.

Between 12 August and 5 September, a total of 20 complaints were received from members of the public in respect of this incident. All complaints were triaged and assigned for inspection, where deemed appropriate. Again, no causal link to the fish kill was found. Results from fish tissue testing undertaken by a specialist laboratory on behalf of IFI found no specific factors that could be conclusively said to have caused the incident. Cork County Council briefed elected members of the northern committee on 8 September and 22 September. Cork County Council has supported IFI and has worked closely with other State agencies throughout this investigation and will continue to provide support on an interagency basis.

I thank the committee for the opportunity to outline Cork County Council’s role and contribution with respect to this investigation. I look forward to addressing any questions members may have for the council.