Eoin Ó Broin (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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167. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if, in light of the deepening ecological catastrophe engulfing Lough Neagh, and noting that the 2025 fishing season has already been adversely impacted by the onset of blue-green algae pollution, and by a moratorium on commercial fishing, he is willing to meet with a representative group of Lough Neagh stakeholders to discuss how the Government can assist in addressing the catastrophe affecting the lough. [30881/25]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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Lough Neagh is the largest freshwater body in the United Kingdom and Ireland, with an area of 383km² and a shoreline of 125 km in length. It is a cross border catchment with a surface area of 5,787km², with just over 6% (374km²) located within the Republic of Ireland. This large catchment encompasses around 43% of the land area in Northern Ireland and is home to over 40% of its population. Six major rivers flow into Lough Neagh: they are the Maine, Six Mile Water, Upper Bann, Blackwater, Ballinderry and Moyola. The Blackwater (Monaghan) sub-catchment is the most significant sub-catchment in the south of Ireland that contributes to the Lough Neagh-Lower Bann catchment. The network of rivers and streams that flow into Lough Neagh are known as the Neagh-Bann catchment, part of which extends into County Monaghan.

Responsibility for the management of environmental pressures in the catchment area of Lough Neagh lies primarily with the authorities in Northern Ireland. Monaghan County Council, with the support of the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) shared service, is the lead environmental authority in relation to catchment management in the small area of the Blackwater catchment that flows into the Bann catchment. The catchment contains a mix of urban, agricultural, and forestry land, all of which can contribute to the problem of blue-green algae blooms.

I acknowledge the very challenging situation in relation to managing and reversing the poor water quality witnessed in Lough Neagh. A meeting recently took place of the reconstituted North / South Water Quality Coordination Group between my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, which will meet on a regular basis to discuss cross-border water quality matters. The level of cooperation between authorities north and south has been high historically and we wish to continue cooperation in this vein. In relation to Lough Neagh specifically, my Department and local authorities participated in the Strategic Insight Lab event in Antrim on 18-19 March following an invitation from the Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland. The workshop discussed "the Future Vision for Lough Neagh".

My Department is available to coordinate assistance from the relevant authorities if the authorities in Northern Ireland consider it helpful and appropriate. This might include EPA, local authority and DHLGH knowledge of environmental pressures in the Blackwater sub-catchment on the Bann which lies within the Republic of Ireland, or other relevant technical knowledge and experience.