Debate contribution: Lough Neagh Rescue Plan

Debate contribution by Mr Matthew O'Toole on 13 February 2024.

MLA

Mr Matthew O'Toole

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

13 February 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Lough Neagh Rescue Plan

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4206445

Read the official Assembly record

Text

First, may I, on the record in the Chamber, join others in congratulating Andrew Muir on his appointment as AERA Minister? There is a historical significance in that Andrew is an LGBT man but also in that he is the first Alliance Party Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. There are therefore two firsts, one of which is a little more important than the other, but I congratulate him. Today is a gorgeous day. The grounds of Stormont are spectacular, as we all know. It is beautiful after some fairly unremarkable weather recently. When one stands and look down the hilI, one can see that it is a cold, spectacular winter's day. Sometimes, the beauty of this island can mask what is happening more broadly and deeply in our ecology and environment, which is that our planet is slowly warming. As Steve Aiken mentioned earlier, last year was the first full year in which, on an aggregate basis, the average temperature on earth had risen 1·5 degrees above the baseline that countries had set themselves. That is a horrifying milestone. What is happening in Lough Neagh is, in many ways, a chilling — that is probably the wrong word, ironically — and frightening manifestation of what is happening to ecologies and environments all over the planet. It is intimately, irrefutably and inextricably connected to our warming planet, and we should not be in denial about that. It has multiple causes, but those causes are not, as some have indicated today, impossible to ascertain, mysterious or elusive. They are real, and we know what they are. I am pleased that the motion is before the Assembly, just as I am pleased that other important motions have been debated here today and yesterday. I am pleased that there is at least a degree of rhetorical consensus, but there has to be more than consensus: there has to be action. There has to be real, meaningful action that addresses what is at least a half century of the degradation of Lough Neagh, our greatest natural asset. It is clear and irrefutable that, for a range of reasons but primarily two — agricultural run-off and run-off from waste water — there are now, and there has been for decades, unacceptable levels of, in particular, phosphorus in Lough Neagh. Those levels are causing the lough to be too warm, warmer than it was ever supposed to be, and they led to what was last year a shocking, almost other-worldly appearance. It looked like something from a sci-fi movie, and it smelt indescribable, to be honest. Lots of us went down to the lough shore. My colleagues Patsy McGlone and Councillor Denise Johnston, whose family earns its living as Lough Neagh fishermen, did huge work. The lough shore was an extraordinary sight last year. We therefore need more than words and consensus on how awful it is. We need real action. I am sure that the new Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs will take the matter seriously. It is going to take much longer than his time in office to address. We will be dealing with the problem long after he leaves office, and probably long after most of us have left the Assembly, but we have to be honest with the public. We cannot simply table motions that express aspirations to do things and not be honest with people about the trade-offs involved. Let us be honest about what those will be. There will be real decisions to be taken about what we put into the lough. It is basically a big bowl into which the whole of Northern Ireland drains. As was said by the Member who spoke previously, Maurice Bradley, there is only one river that flows out of it. My saying that has nothing to do with demonising agriculture. In fact, farmers are the custodians of the lough, because they farm around it. We need, however, to support farmers and give them the regulatory structure through which they can make the decisions that they want to make to protect the lough. We also need investment in our waste water infrastructure. Those are not elusive, impossible things that we cannot understand. They need to be in a Programme for Government, costed and delivered by the Executive.

I agree with those who say that we need to bring Lough Neagh into public ownership. I am disappointed that that is not in today's motion, because that is also something that is real, meaningful and can be delivered. While I agree with the sentiment of today's motion, my party, as a constructive Opposition, will hold those with governmental power to account for delivering that —

— and beginning the long-term work of saving our greatest natural resource from death.

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

Assessment

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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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