Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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90. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if a report on the Munster Blackwater river biodiversity loss has been submitted to the Minister; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45967/25]

Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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91. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he has received a briefing on the recent Blackwater river fish kill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45968/25]

Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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92. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he has met with the acting CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland in relation to the recent Blackwater river fish kill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45969/25]

Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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93. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government in light of the recent visit by the Minister of State to Mallow in response to an unexplained catastrophic fish kill, if he has received any reports explaining the reason for this environmental disaster either from agencies within his own Department or those not directly within his remit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45982/25]

Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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135. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if a report on the Munster Blackwater river biodiversity loss has been submitted to the Minister; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45997/25]

Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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136. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he has received a briefing on the recent Blackwater river fish kill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45998/25]

Eoghan Kenny (Cork North-Central, Labour)
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137. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he has met with the acting CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland in relation to the recent Blackwater river fish kill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45999/25]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 90 to 93, inclusive, and 135 to 137, inclusive, together.

I have had regular contact with the Acting CEO and have also met other senior officials from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI). I have also spoken with the IFI Chair and with senior executives from other relevant agencies.

I have established an Inter-Agency Group, to collaborate on the investigation into the cause of the fish mortality on the River Blackwater. This group is being coordinated by IFI and includes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Marine Institute, Cork County Council, the Local Authorities Water Programme, Uisce Éireann, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Health Services Executive. The Group has met three times, including a meeting on Wednesday of this week (3rd September) chaired by me, following which a press release was issued with the latest available information. I will continue to oversee the work of the Inter-Agency Group, convening further meetings as required and ensuring that affected communities and stakeholders remain fully informed.

Technical reports from the Marine Institute and the EPA in relation to lab tests, virology reports and site visits have been made available and are published on IFI’s website at www.fisheriesireland.ie/publications. IFI remain on site in Mallow and ongoing inspections and monitoring is being carried out by the relevant agencies, the results of which are being made available to the Inter-Agency Group and IFI to inform their assessment in relation to the incident. Department officials are also working closely with IFI and play a central role in coordinating public updates and press releases and will continue to provide updated data and information as it becomes available.

The priority at the moment is to determine the cause of the incident as quickly as possible, while ensuring the investigation is not only thorough and evidence-based but also transparent and responsive to local concerns. Once the investigation is completed, a report will issue on the findings. Given the scale and complexity of the incident, impact assessments (such as biodiversity loss reports) will take longer to produce.