T5. Mr Honeyford asked the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to update the House on what actions the Department is taking on the all-too-familiar occurrence that was, unfortunately, witnessed last week in his old council area, where thick brown waste was emptied into the Glenavy river causing devastation to the environment and a massive fish kill. (AQT 405/22-27)

The Northern Ireland Environment Agency received a report of pollution affecting several miles of the Glenavy river, County Antrim, at 7.20 pm last Wednesday. Two water quality inspectors were immediately deployed to the area, where they confirmed a fish kill and began an investigation. On Thursday, inspectors returned to the site to continue the investigation, which is ongoing. I met the staff there. On 13 June, DAERA Inland Fisheries staff completed an assessment of the extent of the Glenavy fish kill. The assessment confirmed a major fish kill along a 4-kilometre stretch of the Glenavy river. A total of 522 brown trout of various age classes and one European eel were confirmed to have been killed. If there is any motivator to take action on water pollution, that is it.

I thank the Minister for his answer. I appreciate that he went quickly to the scene to witness it for himself and the passion with which he spoke about it. Will he agree to meet and listen directly to the local conservation and angling club there, which, in recent years, has done a great job to try to manage that section of river?

I thank the Member for his supplementary question. I am quite passionate about the issue. People probably guess that. Last week, I met the anglers and was told that children as young as five years old had witnessed fish gasping for air and dying as a result of that pollution. Children had to be brought inside the youth club because of that. We now have an opportunity in Northern Ireland to chart a different direction on water quality. I hope that we are able to do that in the time ahead. My Department is leading on many actions, as I have outlined in the Chamber today. When I was down there, I gave a commitment, and I will do so again today, to meet the local angling group over the weeks ahead so that we can work together to restore fish stocks in the river. It is important that we do that.