Part of Question for Urgent Oral Answer — Infrastructure – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 3:30 pm on 16 September 2024.
John O'Dowd
Sinn Féin
3:30,
16 September 2024
The Member is absolutely correct. One of the causes of the algae blooms in Lough Neagh is foul water entering the lough in too high a concentration and too often. I am working with my Executive colleagues to increase the funding available to NI Water to upgrade the relevant water treatment works. I am looking at changing the legislation on developer contributions. Recently, I also had a policy passed at the Executive to allow me to go forward and draft legislation on sustainable drainage, so that we work with nature instead of against nature in how we separate and deal with storm water etc. That is so that we can store it and release it into the system more slowly than has been the case. When it is released more slowly into the system, it does not overrun at our waste water treatment works. Three steps are at play at the moment. I am thankful that my Executive colleagues are working with me on the budgetary issue. As I say, the other issues are moving forward as well.