Johnny Mythen (Wexford, Sinn Fein)
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453. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government in view of the recent EPA's report on the ecological collapse of Our Lady's Island Lake (lagoon), a priority area under the EU Habitat Directive, if he will instigate a coordinated response to this report and insure funding is forthcoming to protect and restore this lagoon, as it is of enormous ecological, historical and spiritual significance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57196/25]

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South-West, Fianna Fail)
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The “Coastal Lagoons: Ecology and Restoration: CLEAR” report published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), produced under funding from the EPA and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of my Department, identified severe water quality problems in Lady’s Island Lake.

In terms of coordinating a response, I have established an inter-agency working group, which includes the NPWS, Water Policy Section in my Department, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Wexford County Council, LAWPRO and, more recently, Teagasc, to progress solutions. The working group is chaired by Wexford County Council and has met a number of times already. Wexford County Council has been tasked with preparing a specific action plan to deal with the pollution at the lake. Any additional funding requests that may arise out of this will be prioritised by me on receipt of relevant business cases.