Lough Neagh bed owner remains open to exploring future ownership options

The owner of Lough Neagh's bed restated his openness to exploring future ownership options as he met the Stormont minister tasked with addressing the environmental problems besetting the lake.

The Earl of Shaftesbury said he was committed to finding a "comprehensive, long-term solution" for the lough.

Nicholas Ashley-Cooper's comments following his meeting with Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir came as a senior official in Mr Muir's department said he anticipated that a bid for extra funding to tackle the challenges with the lough would be made in the process of setting the next executive budget.

Lough Neagh is the biggest freshwater lake, by surface area, in the UK and Ireland, supplies 40% of Northern Ireland's drinking water and sustains a major eel-fishing industry.

Noxious blooms covered large parts of the lough across last summer, and also affected other waterways and beaches in the region.

Nitrogen and phosphorus from agricultural fertiliser running off fields were believed to be a major contributory factor.

The spread of the invasive zebra mussel species is also understood to have played a role, as they have made the water clearer, allowing more sunlight to penetrate, stimulating more algal photosynthesis.

Climate change is another factor cited, with the highest water temperature at Lough Neagh recorded last June.

A Stormont cross departmental water quality steering group is currently drafting recommendations to tackle the blue green algae in Lough Neagh.

The environmental concerns have prompted calls for the lough to be taken into public ownership.

The earl said he welcomed the opportunity to engage with Mr Muir on Wednesday.

"During our meeting, we discussed our shared concerns regarding the current environmental challenges facing Lough Neagh," he said on Thursday.

"I expressed my firm commitment to collaborate with his team and other Lough Neagh stakeholders to find a comprehensive, long-term solution. The discussion provided a valuable platform to address these critical matters.

"What was discussed aligns with my previous statements and sentiments that underscored the imperative for a co-ordinated, cross-departmental approach to tackle the environmental issues linked to Lough Neagh.

"The algae bloom in 2023 highlighted the severe risks to human and animal health, emphasising the pressing need for a centrally managed government body with the authority to regulate activities impacting the lough's health and protection.

"Additionally, my position on the ownership of the lough bed and soil remains the same since I assumed responsibility for the Shaftesbury Estate of Lough Neagh Ltd in 2005.

"I am open to exploring options for future ownership as part of our ongoing efforts to ensure a secure and sustainable future for Lough Neagh."

Issues about Lough Neagh were raised at Stormont on Thursday as senior officials from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs gave evidence to their Assembly oversight committee.

Department finance director Roger Downey was asked by SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone about the funding required to address the problems with the lough.

Mr McGlone said: "Has the department set aside any money or earmarked any money or looked at what the potential costs of the rectification process might be, measures that are needed to be taken by the department both in monitoring and actual actions to prevent or help, at least in the initial years anyway, mitigate the worst excesses of what we saw was the algal bloom on Lough Neagh last year?"

Mr Downey said work was ongoing on the budget process, with senior officials within the department developing bids for their respective sectors of responsibility.

"We'll be putting that together and then discussing proposals with the minister then to bid to the executive as appropriate," he said.

Pressed by Mr McGlone was the department anticipating a specific allocation of funding for Lough Neagh, Mr Downey added: "I'm anticipating bids coming in to cover that, and then that will be in the mix with everything else and we will be bidding for that and making a case to get additional funding into the department to cover that," he said.