T1. Mr McGlone asked the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for an update on the Lough Neagh action plan that was presented to the Executive on Thursday. (AQT 401/22-27)

I thank the Member for his question. I have the report here; it is ready to go. There are many actions that my Department is taking, some of which I outlined to Stewart Dickson. Our farm support and development programme is a significant programme to turn our farms towards an environmentally sustainable way forward. That has been very well-received and I am looking forward to continuing to deliver it.

Communications around the area are planned and are under way. We also have the soil nutrient health scheme; training planned for slurry contractors; the small business research initiative on the utilisation of livestock slurry; an independent scientific review of sand extraction; more resources for regulation and enforcement; and a scoping of the expansion of the sustainable catchment programme. There is lots more.

My Department is getting cracking and is moving on this, but I need Executive approval for the significant elements that are cross-cutting or new, including the establishment of a model similar to the Forever Mournes partnership using the innovation lab; scoping a conservation management plan; investment in waste water infrastructure; investment in a science platform; a grant programme to support organisations that are working to support better water quality in the Lough Neagh area; a sentencing framework review of fines and penalties for environmental crime; and action on septic tanks.

This Executive will be judged on one thing: delivery. That is what I want to do.

Thanks, Minister. Will you give us an indication of what the obstacles were to the action plan moving from the Executive on Thursday?

I received some feedback on the report, and I will be engaging with stakeholders on Wednesday. I am engaging with the Lough Neagh Partnership, the Northern Ireland Environment Link, the Ulster Farmers' Union and the Northern Ireland Agricultural Producers Association. I am looking forward to that engagement so that we can get the report finalised for the end of this week. Hopefully, we can get it agreed at the Executive next week and give people in Northern Ireland hope after the scenes of last year. We are aware that there are already blue-green algae blooms in Lough Neagh, but we have hope that we will chart a course to turn the situation around. I am confident that we can do that, because together we can achieve so much more for the people of Northern Ireland. Let us get the report and the environmental improvement plan agreed and actually show delivery and positive change for people in Northern Ireland.