Ulster Unionist Party Infrastructure and Environment spokespeople, John Stewart MLA and Tom Elliott MLA have issued a statement on the worsening Lough Neagh pollution situation.

Tom Elliott MLA commented.

“As far back as 2012, our party were calling for a commitment across the Executive to deliver a unified strategy to resolve issues in Lough Neagh that were then starting to cause environmental concerns.

“If Ministers had listened to our colleagues and acted at that time, it is very likely that solutions could have been found to ensure many of the pressures currently placed on Lough Neagh and surrounding environment, did not develop.

“It is imperative that all those with any involvement in the operation and management of Lough Neagh, whether political, agricultural, environmental, business or community, should be talking to each other to identify and act on solutions before it is too late.

“I am writing to the Office for Environmental Protection, asking them to investigate the role of local Departments in this matter.”

John Stewart MLA added.

“It is no secret that our water and waste infrastructure have not been fit for purpose for some time. These long-term failures, along with a continued lack of strategic direction from key departments at Stormont, have caused a situation where we are no longer in control of our largest single source of drinking water.

“I have asked NI Water to provide an urgent indication of how close we are to the tipping point where water in the Lough will no longer be usable in our drinking water system.

“The lack of an Executive at Stormont means that we cannot bring forward solutions on this issue, ultimately increasing the damage already identified. If an Executive were sitting in Stormont today, we could be engaging, in a cross-departmental manner, to provide solutions that could save wildlife and protect our wider environment."