Call for Irish government to ‘intervene’ in Lough Neagh crisis

A CALL HAS been made for the Irish government to “intervene” in the environmental crisis on Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland.

The lough, which is the largest freshwater lake in the UK and Ireland, has been largely covered by noxious blooms of blue-green algae over recent summers.

The cause has been put down to an excess of nutrients from a number of sources, including wastewater, septic tanks and agriculture, exacerbated by climate change and the invasive species zebra mussels.

A move by Stormont’s agriculture, environment and rural affairs minister, Andrew Muir, to end NI Water’s protection from environmental penalties has been on the Executive table for months.

Lough Neagh, Kinnego, Co Armagh, pictured last year Alamy

NI Water has been protected since its formation in 2007 from severe environmental enforcement and fines regarding wastewater pollution by the Statement of Regulatory Principles and Intent (SoRPI).

The framework is an acknowledgement of the antiquated wastewater infrastructure.

Muir claimed in the Assembly earlier in the week that Sinn Féin ministers are “happy to progress” his bid to end SoRPI, but others have not supported it.

Sinn Féin president Mary-Lou McDonald said that paper was in the system, adding that her party’s Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has “worked closely” with Muir on it.

“Any delay that is about that matter is certainly not coming from Sinn Féin,” she said.

McDonald added: “The situation with Lough Neagh is a national disgrace, when I say national I mean an all of Ireland disgrace.

“We have lobbied heavily for example for the government in Dublin to intervene and to be aware of this crisis.

“I think (intervention) is very likely, you’ll hear the Taoiseach talk very regularly about the Shared Island Fund, you will hear him talk about shared infrastructure, very often on a cross-border basis.

“Access to water as a resource is absolutely precious for communities right across our island, and what happens at Lough Neagh matters to all of us who live here. Our water infrastructure, the quality of our groundwater, our water supply are matters of concern for all of us and we have to work cooperatively and in common cause.”