Mr. Barry Fox:

I thank the Deputy. I will defer to the EPA on the monitoring of the licensed discharge points but in general on the Blackwater, we would have staff on the river every day in certain locations. They would not be monitoring water quality per se but they would be keeping a very close eye on the environment in general and ensuring that the Fisheries Acts were enforced.

This is a really disappointing event; there is absolutely no question about that. It is a catastrophic event for the local users and for the environment itself. We cannot deny that. A discharge, by its very nature, could happen for ten seconds, two hours, or it could continue for a couple of days. The unfortunate thing for IFI is that, as I have pointed out previously, we have to find that discharge to take action under our legislation and in this instance, we did not find it. That is where we are.

I understand the upset of the local users, local angling clubs and so on. I am an angler myself. In terms of the future and looking at what we will do to try to improve the situation in the Blackwater, we are going to undertake significant habitat assessment over the next six to eight months. We are going to come up with restoration plans for the upper catchment to try to increase productivity in that location. We are going to work with local stakeholders to ensure that is delivered. That contact has already begun with our local director. I can assure the Deputy that we will continue to work closely with local stakeholders and try to speed up the recovery of this section of the Blackwater.