Lough Neagh

[Sportacus]

What is the plan to fix the lough?

Lots of authoritive bodies will put out   statements saying "we are looking into...we are  liaising with... we have  met with..." etc.... bullsh1t statements that mean nothing  at all

Nothing of note will be done, then the  wintry weather will reduce algae somewhat , media will stop covering  it  until next summer,  and it all begins again.

 A bit like the bonfires and marching season

Do you honestly think for a moment Stormont has the wherewithal to fix Lough Neagh?  It would require a very well funded and coordinated plan involving multiple groups.  They have proven time and again that they are incapable of making decisions never mind delivering anything.

[armaghniac]

They should get Finn McCool back to throw the Isle of Man back into it.You could call it Contae Mhannanáin.

[Sportacus]

The Environment Minister has published his plan.
"Engagement" on sustainable farming.
A fund to "explore" solutions.
Sand dredging "review".
Enforcement "Taskforce".

Stormont is just a big embarrassing talking shop.  A merry band of civil servants will now knock ten years out of this, running them nicely up to their pension.  Same craic with Casement. God help us all.

[Kidder81]

The Environment Minister has published his plan.
"Engagement" on sustainable farming.
A fund to "explore" solutions.
Sand dredging "review".
Enforcement "Taskforce".

Stormont is just a big embarrassing talking shop.  A merry band of civil servants will now knock ten years out of this, running them nicely up to their pension.  Same craic with Casement. God help us all.

That's not the civil servants fault, all they are doing is responding to Ministerial direction.

[AustinPowers]

The Environment Minister has published his plan.
"Engagement" on sustainable farming.
A fund to "explore" solutions.
Sand dredging "review".
Enforcement "Taskforce".

Stormont is just a big embarrassing talking shop.  A merry band of civil servants will now knock ten years out of this, running them nicely up to their pension.  Same craic with Casement. God help us all.

It sure is.

The warmer weather  is  coming  and the algae is rearing is  head again , so  they have to be  seen to be doing something. 

Put  out  nonsense and gibberish  statements to justify their positions and big wages. 

[Sportacus]

The Environment Minister has published his plan.
"Engagement" on sustainable farming.
A fund to "explore" solutions.
Sand dredging "review".
Enforcement "Taskforce".

Stormont is just a big embarrassing talking shop.  A merry band of civil servants will now knock ten years out of this, running them nicely up to their pension.  Same craic with Casement. God help us all.

It sure is.

The warmer weather  is  coming  and the algae is rearing is  head again , so  they have to be  seen to be doing something. 

Put  out  nonsense and gibberish  statements to justify their positions and big wages. 

I see the Lough Neagh Partnership are publicly calling out Stormont - the algae is back, a plan was published, but the Assembly went into recess before it was approved. Bunch of bluffers.

[weareros]

Nothing would happen anyway. None of the parties are willing to go after farmers responsible for most of the pollution. Muir of Alliance sitting on the fence as usual.

[marty34]

The amount of fish kills in rivers all over the north is crazy.

Between businesses and farmers etc.

Then a slap on the wrist.

[AustinPowers]

Nothing would happen anyway. None of the parties are willing to go after farmers responsible for most of the pollution. Muir of Alliance sitting on the fence as usual.

That's Alliance in  a nutshell.  If someone sitting on a fence is not on their party  emblem , it should be.

But  this is not just on them. It's all of them, the   useless shower of sh1tes

[RadioGAAGAA]

Nothing would happen anyway. None of the parties are willing to go after farmers responsible for most of the pollution. Muir of Alliance sitting on the fence as usual.

You can't "go after" them if they've done nothing illegal. Just change the law.

New law - if your fields are not of sufficiently low nitrogen and phosphate, then you cannot sell livestock. Same as a TB or brucelosis test. That'll put a stop to it in a year.

[JohnDenver]

The Environment Minister has published his plan.
"Engagement" on sustainable farming.
A fund to "explore" solutions.
Sand dredging "review".
Enforcement "Taskforce".

Stormont is just a big embarrassing talking shop.  A merry band of civil servants will now knock ten years out of this, running them nicely up to their pension.  Same craic with Casement. God help us all.

It sure is.

The warmer weather  is  coming  and the algae is rearing is  head again , so  they have to be  seen to be doing something. 

Put  out  nonsense and gibberish  statements to justify their positions and big wages. 

I see the Lough Neagh Partnership are publicly calling out Stormont - the algae is back, a plan was published, but the Assembly went into recess before it was approved. Bunch of bluffers.

Where are you seeing this?

[weareros]

Nothing would happen anyway. None of the parties are willing to go after farmers responsible for most of the pollution. Muir of Alliance sitting on the fence as usual.

You can't "go after" them if they've done nothing illegal. Just change the law.

New law - if your fields are not of sufficiently low nitrogen and phosphate, then you cannot sell livestock. Same as a TB or brucelosis test. That'll put a stop to it in a year.

The pollution is illegal as far as I know but Poots reduced the fines before DUP pulled down Stormont, and Muir has opted to leave those reduced fines intact. But took some good photos of himself, Michele and Pengelly walking by lakes.

[RadioGAAGAA]

The pollution is illegal as far as I know

They aren't dumping into the lough, and are dispensing slurry within the legally prescribed dates.

Existing law doesn't cover it - unless something has changed I'm not aware of.

[Wildweasel74]

As far as I am aware, its illegal for slurry spills into rivers. Walking the Upper bann the nite, you can see algae starting to built up on the boat slipways.

[weareros]

The pollution is illegal as far as I know

They aren't dumping into the lough, and are dispensing slurry within the legally prescribed dates.

Existing law doesn't cover it - unless something has changed I'm not aware of.

How would anyone know. DAERA has an agreement with Ulster Farmers Union to ignore low level pollution (whatever that means). There's also restrictions on checks. Multiply that pure cowboy law across 1000s of farmers and you have environmental disasters like Lough Neagh. And if they are caught Stormont has them covered with minimal sanctions.