Written answers
Tuesday, 4 July 2023
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
National Parks and Wildlife Service
Jennifer Whitmore (Wicklow, Social Democrats)
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342. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the actions being taken by the National Parks and Wildlife Service in relation to an ongoing fuel leak into the Slaney river below the waterworks at Tullow; whether the impact of this oil leak on the SAC, in particular the pearl mussel and salmon populations, has been ascertained; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32038/23]
Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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Regional National Parks and Wildlife Service staff in Carlow were made aware of the fuel leak in recent weeks and have liaised with Inland Fisheries Ireland staff and the Local Authority, who have led on the incident.
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), under the aegis of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, is the agency responsible for the protection, management and conservation of Ireland’s inland fisheries, including for Salmon. It is IFI which has primary responsibility in this matter.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service has responsibility for national monitoring and reporting of the conservation status of Freshwater Pearl Mussel.
The main population of Freshwater Pearl Mussel is found in the Derreen tributary of the Slaney. The impact of the oil leak on the species has not been ascertained. However due to the size of the receiving waterbody, flows and distance to the nearest mussel population, it is expected that any oil will have been sufficiently dispersed as to not directly impact on populations in the main channel of the Slaney. .
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