6. Mr Delargy asked the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs for an update on the Mobuoy remediation project. (AQO 756/22-27)

My Department is continuing to progress work in relation to monitoring the site, pursuing a criminal justice outcome against the former operators and determining the best approach for remediation through an industry standard process. A draft remediation strategy has been developed, in line with industry standards, for the long-term remediation of the Mobuoy site. My officials have published the Mobuoy Road remediation options appraisal report on the DAERA website in order to support the completion of the remediation strategy. As part of next steps, officials are working through an industry standard process, following land contamination risk-management guidance. That includes consultation with the public to seek their views on a draft remediation strategy for the Mobuoy site.

The size and complexity of the Mobuoy site mean that its remediation will not be a quick fix and will be subject to affordability considerations in the context of the constraints on public-sector finances. It is vital that all interested parties have the opportunity to comment on the draft strategy. There is no agreed preferred option, nor will there be until a consultation has been completed and responses carefully considered.

The NIEA continues to implement a comprehensive environmental monitoring programme at the site, and regular water quality reports are published, and therefore freely available, on the DAERA website. To date, I am advised that there has been no adverse impact on the safety of drinking water being supplied from the River Faughan.

Thank you, Minister, for your comprehensive answer. You have provided a lot of clarity on the details. We are all in agreement that this an ecological disaster and a complete national scandal, not just for Derry but right across Ireland, so I am glad to hear that your Department is working on it. Will you meet me, along with residents and environmental groups, as we are keen to campaign to make sure that the truth is got to and that there is a resolution to the scandal?

What occurred in the past at Mobuoy is a complete disgrace. Although I will continue to pursue the issue of the "polluter pays principle", what is happening is that the public sector and the people of Northern Ireland are having to pick up the tab for looking at remediation, and that is not lost on me. I am therefore happy to meet you and others, because I know that it is a key issue for not just the people of Derry/Londonderry but Northern Ireland more widely.

Given the eye-watering projected cost of clean-up, the current cross-cutting impasse over the completion of the A6 and the potentially catastrophic consequences for the environment and human health should the Mobuoy situation remain unresolved —

Is there a question?

— does the Minister agree that there should be a specific commitment in the Programme for Government to get the issue funded and sorted out once and for all?

There is a commitment from me to address the issue within the financial resources that are available to me. That is the challenge, because, as the Member knows, the cost of remediation could be substantial. I am glad that the Programme for Government was launched for consultation yesterday, and I encourage all in the House and in Northern Ireland to give feedback on it. We also have to be realistic in the Programme for Government about what we can achieve in a reduced mandate, however. We lost two years of this mandate as a result of the House's not sitting, and we are now trying to play catch-up on the issues that need to be addressed, and Mobuoy is one of those issues.

I will pick up on the review of environmental crime fines and penalties, which the Minister mentioned in previous answers. Will the review cover waste crimes so that a similar scandal does not happen in future?

Minister, please answer quickly.

The review and consultation on fines and penalties associated with environmental crime is really important. It will cover waste crime, because I am concerned about that. Officials are working on taking that forward, and when we launch the consultation, I encourage everyone to respond to it.

I call David Brooks. Be very quick, if you can.