Ministerial statement following publication of Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) report on NI water quality
Date published:
Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs Minister, Andrew Muir, said: “I welcome the publication of this report and thank the OEP for its work on this review. I take its findings extremely seriously.
“We know that, in the past, we have not got the balance right when it comes to policy to protect water quality and we recognise that there is much more work to do. Lough Neagh has been a wake-up call for water quality issues and this report is a timely reminder of the work required, not only across government, but the public and private sectors, including local government, and the wider community.
“I am committed to taking action and meeting the challenge together with others. I will consider the recommendations in the report and in due course my Department will set out our position on each recommendation made in relation to DAERA and the NIEA and the actions we are going to take which will be subject to Assembly scrutiny before it is laid in the Assembly. We will also provide annual reports on delivering those actions.
“My officials and I will continue to make sure that our statutory and legislative requirements are given the highest priority.”
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