Select committee: Northern Ireland Affairs Committee
The environmental situation at Lough Neagh
Open
Opened 10 Sep 2025
Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Inquiry scope (the committee's words)
This session will consider the present environmental situation at Lough Neagh and the presence of blue-green algae blooms over the past three summers. The committee will seek to better understand the sources of pollution at the lough, and examine the NI Executive plan to address this.
Where it stands
The inquiry is open, opened 10 September 2025.
The committee has not published a report yet.
Evidence
- 1 oral evidence sessionLatest 15 October 2025
- 9 witnesses
Recent activity
- Correspondence from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency relating to wastewater works and phosphorus removal standards, dated 21 November 2025.26 November 2025, Correspondence
- Oral evidence session15 October 2025, Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions
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| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 15 Oct 2025 |
Oral evidence session
Alistair Carson · Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs,
Andrew Muir MLA · Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs,
Angela Halpenny · Northern Ireland Water,
David Reid · Northern Ireland Environment Agency,
Gary Curran · Northern Ireland Water,
Gerry Darby · Lough Neagh Partnership,
Julie Thompson · Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs,
Kathleen McBride · Lough Neagh Fishermen's Co-operative Society Ltd.,
William Irvine · Ulster Farmers' Union
|
View ↗ |
Who gave evidence
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| Witness | Organisation | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Alistair Carson · Chief Scientific Advisor | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs | 1 |
| Andrew Muir MLA · Minister | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs | 1 |
| Angela Halpenny · Head of Environmental Regulation | Northern Ireland Water | 1 |
| David Reid · Chief Executive | Northern Ireland Environment Agency | 1 |
| Gary Curran · Director of Engineering and Sustainability | Northern Ireland Water | 1 |
| Gerry Darby · Manager | Lough Neagh Partnership | 1 |
| Julie Thompson · Environment, Marine and Fisheries Group | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs | 1 |
| Kathleen McBride · CEO | Lough Neagh Fishermen's Co-operative Society Ltd. | 1 |
| William Irvine · President | Ulster Farmers' Union | 1 |
Correspondence
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| Published | Direction | Letter |
|---|---|---|
| 26 Nov 2025 | Not recorded | Correspondence from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency relating to wastewater works and phosphorus removal standards, dated 21 November 2025. |