I wish to highlight from the outset that my Department remains fully committed to pursuing the perpetrators of this environmental crime through ongoing criminal proceedings, including ensuring that the polluter pays through confiscation under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.

Safeguarding public health, assuring safe drinking water and reducing the environmental impact of this crime are paramount. My Department will continue to deliver its comprehensive environmental monitoring programme at the site. That includes site inspections, regular monitoring of groundwater and surface water, daily laboratory testing of water quality at the NI Water drinking water abstraction point and working in partnership with NI Water. Detailed water quality monitoring reports are published on the DAERA website, and I am advised that, to date, there has been no adverse impact on the safety of drinking water supplied from the River Faughan.

A draft optimum remediation strategy to deliver the long-term remediation of the Mobuoy site, based on the best balance of environmental, social and economic factors, has been developed. A detailed risk assessment drawing on extensive site investigations and over seven years of monitoring has provided a robust evidence basis for a detailed appraisal of many remediation options and, subsequently, the development of the draft remediation strategy. The draft strategy has been developed in line with best practice and using guidance issued by the Environment Agency that applies to Northern Ireland. The next step in the process is to consult the public on the draft strategy. It is vital that we get it right, and I will ensure that all interested parties have the opportunity to comment on the draft strategy. There is no agreed preferred option, and there will not be one until the consultation has been completed and the responses carefully considered.