Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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130. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if consideration is being given to establishing a compensation scheme to assist anglers affected by the large scale fish kill in the River Blackwater in Mallow, County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50300/25]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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131. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to provide an update on the reports he has received regarding the reasons for the large scale fish kill in Mallow, County Cork; the engagement he has had with the agencies involved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [50301/25]

Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 130 and 131 together.

I want to acknowledge the seriousness of the fish kill that occurred on the River Blackwater and its tributaries near Mallow, Co Cork, and I fully recognise the enormous impact this incident has had on local communities, anglers and users of this important river catchment.

From the outset, I have been in regular contact with Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) and other agencies, as well as with local councillors and public representatives. I have visited the site on two occasions, where I chaired a well-attended townhall meeting between agencies and stakeholders, principally anglers and their representatives. Officials in the Department have also been working closely with IFI and the other agencies to coordinate public updates and to ensure information is being released as it becomes available.

An Inter-Agency Group was established at my instigation, to investigate the incident and to ensure that a coordinated and thorough response was in place. This group is coordinated by IFI and includes the Environmental Protection Agency, 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 several times, including twice under my chairmanship.

Over the last month, extensive investigations and testing have been carried out by the relevant agencies and all potential pollution sources in the area have been examined. While pathology testing carried out by the Marine Institute indicated possible exposure to some form of environmental insult or water-borne irritant was likely to have caused or contributed to the incident, no definitive cause for the fish kill has been identified in any of the test results. Unfortunately, this is not unusual. In some cases the triggering factor has either dissipated or is not detectable by the time an investigation commences, making identification impossible.

A significant mortality of fish has occurred. While it will take time for stocks to fully recover, the river remains open for fishing and healthy stocks are present. Importantly, the results of ongoing monitoring and testing indicate that the river continues to be safe, including for angling, with no water quality issues currently detected. All agencies will continue to carry out ongoing monitoring and routine surveys and inspections, both in the Blackwater catchment and more widely across other water courses.

No decision has been made yet in relation to a compensation scheme. A full incident report will be completed by the Inter Agency Group, which will review the actions taken by all agencies involved and include full and comprehensive findings from all investigations. This report will inform whether further measures are required.