Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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543. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if an independent ecological damage assessment will be undertaken in respect of the River Allow, in view of its designation under the Munster Blackwater Special Area of Conservation (site code 0021700) and its blue-dot high-status objective; and when the assessment is expected to be completed and reported. [51226/25]

Ken O'Flynn (Cork North-Central, Independent Ireland Party)
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544. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the National Parks and Wildlife Service has been formally informed by the Environmental Protection Agency and Inland Fisheries Ireland of recent reported incidents concerning the River Allow; if not, when such notification will occur; and the measures in place to ensure timely inter-agency communication in future. [51228/25]

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 543 and 544 together.

The River Allow is within the Blackwater River (Cork/Waterford) Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Under Regulation 27 of the European Communities Birds and Natural Habitats Regulations (S.I. 411/2011, as amended), the competent authority in relation to fin fish species in the first instance is Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI), with the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) and Cork County Council (CCC) also having statutory functions in relation to licensing and water quality in the River Allow.

There have been 2 incidents reported to the National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) impacting the River Allow in recent years and I refer to these specifically.

The first reported incident was at Freemount Water Treatment plant in June 2024 when a chemical was accidently released into the river causing fish mortality. Uisce Éireann notified the NPWS of this incident on 10 June 2024. Officials of the NPWS visited the Allow River on 3 separate occasions in July 2024. Having observed 70 to 80 live Freshwater Pearl Mussels downstream of the Water Treatment Plant, the NPWS advised Uisce Éireann on the type of surveys that should be under taken. Uisce Éireann commissioned these independent surveys, the reports of which have been furnished to the NPWS.

Secondly, more recently, a short-term pollution event of unknown origin occurred in the River Blackwater of which the River Allow is a tributary to the Munster Blackwater catchment area. On 11 August 2025, IFI began investigating reports of dead or ailing fish in the River Blackwater, County Cork. An Inter-Agency group was established in response to the incident on 25 August 2025. The NPWS was invited to attend and was represented alongside other key State Bodies and Agencies.

The NPWS has been actively liaising with the local community, and other State Agencies and bodies since the incident and undertaking site visits and monitoring. The NPWS undertakes monitoring programmes for habitats and species in accordance with the requirements of the EU Birds and Habitats Directive and Regulations under a six-year cycle, with surveys to assess the condition of protected species such as the Freshwater Pearl Mussel scheduled for 2026. This includes the River Allow and Munster Blackwater Special Area of Conservation, with NPWS divisional staff undertaking regular patrols in the Munster Blackwater Special Area of Conservation (SAC) as a key function.

Fish samples were collected and water testing was undertaken by IFI, the EPA, Cork County Council and the Marine Institute. The fish samples were sent for laboratory testing for over 900 chemicals including pesticides and heavy metals to determine if there was a chemical pollutant responsible. This proved inconclusive, with the final report of the Inter-Agency group being published on 25 September 2025.

The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) Water Programme works with others to monitor and assess the health of our rivers, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters under the Water Framework Directive. Blue Dot water bodies, like the River Allow, are those which have been assigned a high status objective under the Water Framework Directive. Ireland’s Blue Dot Programme, managed by the Local Authorities Waters Programme (LAWPRO) aims to preserve and protect, or to restore these water bodies where necessary, through targeted actions set out in the Water Action Plan 2024.

No other incidents concerning the River Allow have been reported to the NPWS. My Department continues to liaise with and work closely with other State agencies and bodies as appropriate to provide a comprehensive, co-ordinated response to such cases.