Green Party Councillor Brian Smyth reacts to today's Assembly debate on Lough Neagh

Cllr Brian Smyth said "Whilst we welcome today’s motion on Lough Neagh at the Assembly and the urgent need for a cross departmental body to be set up to begin to tackle the many issues it faces, we are concerned that there is no clear call for it to be acquired into public ownership, with the communities around it, very much at the heart of the process in the motion. Mere words during speeches are not enough or acceptable at this critical stage in the overall health of Lough Neagh."

"Lough Neagh is Northern Ireland’s most strategic asset in terms of recreation, sustainable fisheries, public water supply and its global biodiversity value. Therefore, it cannot be allowed to fall victim to a public and private carve up, with only a small number of people with vested interests making the decisions. There also needs to be a rights of nature approach, the Lough should have the same rights as any human or corporation. If Lough Neagh is allowed to wither away and die, then so will some of our communities in Northern Ireland."

"The Green Party supports the establishment of an Independent Environmental Agency, as well as a new research facility to monitor water quality and biodiversity in the Lough. It must also be stated that the Going for Growth Strategy for agriculture, which was signed off in 2015 by the Executive Parties has been a disaster. Northern Ireland now has a completely unsustainable agrifood and land use system. Motions are meaningless unless the Executive is willing and able to grapple with this fact and reverse our trajectory towards full climate and ecological breakdown."

ENDS