Debate contribution: Lough Neagh Rescue Plan

Debate contribution by Mr Keith Buchanan on 13 February 2024.

MLA

Mr Keith Buchanan

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

13 February 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Lough Neagh Rescue Plan

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4206409

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I congratulate the Minister on his position. I look forward to working with him on many aspects of the environment, agriculture and rural affairs. I appreciate the work that he will do on that. I also thank the Members opposite for tabling the motion and the amendment. We will support both. I am a Member for Mid Ulster, and a lot of my constituency borders the shores of Lough Neagh. I recognise the importance of the lough to local industries including tourism, fishing, leisure and wildlife. Lough Neagh is one of the crown jewels of Northern Ireland. However, we are concerned that it has been allowed to decline over many years. The past year has brought the lough and its many issues to the fore and highlighted the lough's importance to Northern Ireland. The DUP is committed to a long-term multi-agency strategy to improve water quality. Over the past year, I have engaged with lough users, fishermen, fisherwomen and various agencies, including the Lough Neagh Partnership and the Ulster Farmers' Union, and met the relevant Departments and officials. I have seen for myself the problem facing the lough, and I recognise that something needs to happen to address it. We acknowledge that securing better outcomes means going beyond simply addressing management issues. The DUP is committed to protecting our environmental heritage, which will be key in Northern Ireland's success for generations to come. However, we must deal with the facts. In total, 42% of Northern Ireland's surface area drains into Lough Neagh. We must establish exactly what is causing the problem. It is not just a problem in Lough Neagh: blue-green algae has appeared in different parts of the United Kingdom and the world. Although blooms are more common in the months with more sunlight, they can also occur following heavy rainfall. There are different narratives around the problem. We must ensure that we are not focused on just one industry. We need to look at the problem across the board. Without doing that, the problem will not be resolved effectively. Before any issue can be addressed, the cause must be established and accurate data produced to verify it.

I will indeed.

Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will not get into a debate on who should do the work, as long as it is done. The finger has been pointed at agriculture, the environmental sector, from an NI Water point of view, septic tanks. As long as we can stand over the data, who does the work is irrelevant, in my opinion. Data on the benefits of work that has been carried out must be clear. For example, in the Ballinderry catchment area, work has been carried out on that river with different fencing activities, repairs of damaged concrete spouting around farm buildings etc. We need to establish that that work has been of benefit. If we see the benefit of that work in the figures, whatever way those figures are produced, we will see what the issue is. Without looking across the board, the problem will not be resolved effectively. Before any issue can be addressed, the cause must be established and accurate data produced to verify it. Ownership has been the focus of some; in fact, some people have been fascinated by the ownership of the lough, when the ownership is not what is causing the issue. Yes, the benefits of public ownership can be looked at and that conversation can certainly be had, but we should not deviate from the actual problem. People have become focused on and fascinated by ownership when that is not the issue. There are other issues with the lough more broadly, such as the tourism potential, navigation and access to waterways connected to the lough. As a Member who spoke previously mentioned, at the Blackwater, access to the lough is hampered, dangerous and at times impossible. That should be addressed by dredging if access to that waterway and others is to reach their potential. I appreciate the work of some campaigners who are trying to resolve that issue. My party's leadership has been proactively engaging with core stakeholders, including the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, NIEA and the Lough Neagh Partnership, in order to monitor the situation. Understandably, there are calls for governance arrangements to be placed on a statutory footing, particularly in order to support a more joined-up approach, and that is something that we would support. Many different stakeholders have responsibility for what happens to the lough and other inland waterways, including Upper and Lower Lough Erne. Agriculture has already made changes in relation to ensuring responsible practices and reducing the risk of run-off. Nutrients going into Lough Neagh is a historical issue, going back many generations, and continues to be of concern. Farmers are not naive; they understand that they have a part to play but only a part. It is the responsibility not just of farmers but of landowners, businesses, homeowners and us all, as well as those with septic tanks and sewage treatment responsibilities across Northern Ireland. If we as a society cannot even keep our rubbish in the car and take it home, have we the moral compass to address the issue collectively? Other agencies, including NI Water and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, need to look at their practices, issues and policies. We must also consider natural factors, including the invasive zebra mussels, as they are also contributors to the problem. We must ensure that the public are aware of the consequences and impact of their actions: promoting personal responsibility should be front and centre of future efforts. We must acknowledge that the problem will not be easily remedied. Our primary focus should be on securing solid foundations and the right resources to ensure that the current situation in the lough and all threats to wildlife and habitats are addressed sustainably. As mentioned, we must identify the actual causes and then work collectively to address them.

993 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not qualifying

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 09:35 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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