I have received notice from the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs that he wishes to make another statement. Before I call the Minister, I ask Members to continually rise in their place until we get them sorted.

With your permission, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, in compliance with section 52 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, I wish to make a statement about the thirty-first meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in the aquaculture and marine sectoral format, which was held on Monday 10 June. The Executive were represented by junior Minister Cameron and junior Minister Reilly, as accompanying Ministers, and by me, as lead Minister and chair of the meeting. The Irish Government were represented by Minister Ryan from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The statement has been agreed with junior Ministers Cameron and Reilly, and I make it on behalf of all of us. Again, I thank them for coming to the meeting and for working together on these issues and other matters. It is a joint endeavour, as everyone knows.

The NSMC welcomed the report on the activities of the Loughs Agency, including its ongoing conservation and protection efforts, and the investment in the agency's scientific fisheries monitoring programme, including the introduction of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence. Ministers noted, in particular, the fisheries improvement projects that help to address climate change and biodiversity loss; the successfully delivered CatchmentCARE and shared waters enhancement and loughs legacy (SWELL) projects; the wide range of environmental education and outreach programmes; and the pioneering work undertaken in the SeaMonitor project to improve marine research and produce the first Atlantic salmon management plan for the island of Ireland.

The Council approved Loughs Agency business plans, budgets and cash grants for 2022, 2023 and 2024, as well as the Loughs Agency three-year corporate plan. Those approvals regularise spend for plans that were unable to be approved in the absence of the NSMC. The NSMC noted that all plans were completed in accordance with guidance issued by the Department of Finance and the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform and that they have been agreed by sponsor Departments and Finance Ministers.

The Council noted Loughs Agency annual reports and accounts for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021, which have been laid before the Northern Ireland Assembly and both Houses of the Oireachtas. The Council noted the review of the framework for processing Loughs Agency emergency regulations and agreed that the framework is not required for the Loughs Agency to carry out emergency functions.

The Council welcomed the adoption of the science strategy framework, which provides research to inform management decisions on the management and conservation of salmonid and other fish stocks, native oysters and aquatic ecosystems. The NSMC noted the multidisciplinary nature of Loughs Agency scientific delivery and the importance of taking an ecosystem-based approach to the management of the Foyle and Carlingford catchments. Ministers agreed that the Loughs Agency will provide an update on activity under its science strategy at the next meeting in the sector.

The Loughs Agency's climate action plan was launched at the meeting. The Council noted the importance of the work of the Loughs Agency in addressing the impacts of climate change on the aquatic systems, flora and fauna in the Foyle and Carlingford catchments. The Council welcomed Loughs Agency's contribution to addressing climate change and the loss of biodiversity and its commitment to supporting obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in both jurisdictions, including through the use of nature-based solutions for catchment management.

The NSMC commended Loughs Agency for its positive advances in data, knowledge and marine research following the successful completion of the SeaMonitor project. Ministers noted the presentation on Loughs Agency participation in international research projects. The Council welcomed the agency's continued commitment to scientific excellence through research, including its work with international partners on key projects, including the strategic infrastructure for improved animal tracking in European seas or "STRAITS" project — we are good at acronyms in the Department — the north-east Atlantic tracking network or "NorTrack" project; and the digital twin of the ocean animal tracking (DTO-Track) project and its work to establish the cross-border marine observation network using acoustic telemetry to monitor key marine species.

The NSMC agreed to hold its next aquaculture and marine meeting late in 2024.

Gabhaim buíochas arís eile leis an Aire.

[Translation: Once again, I thank the Minister.]

Minister, we all want to support you as you continue your work, but will you indicate who refused to sign off on the Executive meeting on Thursday and the reason that was given for that?

That is a matter for the First Minister and deputy First Minister. What goes on in Stormont Castle is a matter for them to respond to.

I thank the Minister for bringing this to our attention. There was quite a bit in his statement about the Loughs Agency, which, I know, was working on a project with the Forest Service. There seem to be some difficulties around mapping the forestry areas: is that anything to do with the projects that he mentioned?

I am aware of the issue that the Member has outlined. I will write to him and outline some more information on that, because it is a bit complex and there are potentially some legal issues around it. If that is OK, I will engage with him and get that letter off this week.

I thank the Minister for his statement this morning. I note with interest that the Loughs Agency's climate action plan was also launched at the meeting. Has it been developed entirely independently by the agency, or has it been designed or co-designed with existing climate target plans and action plans North and South?

The climate action plan sets out clear climate ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 and to be a net zero and climate-resilient agency by 2050. The Loughs Agency plans to implement nature-based solutions to address the loss of biodiversity, including the implementation of buffer strips, tree planting, constructed wetlands and habitat improvement schemes.

The Loughs Agency launched the plan at our meeting, and it outlines a number of initiatives, including in relation to buildings and property; travel and fleet; catchment adaptation and biodiversity; supply chains; and people, stakeholders and communities. I will come back to the Member on the engagement that has taken place around that and what is planned for the time ahead. It is an important question, and I will give her a fuller answer on that.

I thank the Minister for his statement and answers so far. Can he advise when he expects the Loughs Agency annual report and accounts for 2022 and 2023 to be laid in the Assembly? Are there any issues of concern in those that, the Minister thinks, should be highlighted at this point?

There were quite a lot of corporate governance matters to be regularised as part of the meeting. That is what happens when the Assembly does not sit and the institutions collapse: these things build up. That is why I was keen to come to the Assembly after the meeting to give an update, because sometimes there is a bit of a lag between the meeting and the update.

At the meeting, the NSMC approved the Loughs Agency's 2024 business plan and associated budget. The NSMC also approved the 2023-25 corporate plan and the 2023 and 2022 business plans, and the Loughs Agency annual report and accounts for 2019, 2020 and 2021 were noted. I will make enquiries on the other matters the Member outlined and come back to her, because it is important that I am able to give a full response.

I thank the Minister for his statement and all involved in the inter-agency work on aquaculture and marine. Directly related to that, is there an update on the recent fish kill in the River Roe?

This is an issue of concern, and it has been reported in the media. I will go back to the Member with further information on the River Roe. Investigations are ongoing. That is yet another fish kill in Northern Ireland, and there have been too many of those, not just in recent years but in recent weeks. That is why we need to be able to take a clear approach to the issue of water quality and why the Lough Neagh report and action plan is key. It is about that balanced approach between education and incentivisation, as well as regulation and enforcement. That can be used as a model for other rivers, lakes and loughs in Northern Ireland affected by water quality issues. It is absolutely fundamental.

On fish kills, if people become aware of any, I urge them to urgently report them to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) and its pollution hotline, because it is important such issues are investigated. One of the reasons behind the resources that I have been putting into enforcement in my Department is that investigating such issues to get a level of evidence that would be satisfactory to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) to take forward a prosecution is extremely resource-intensive. That is why we need to have resources to do the investigations around us. It is therefore key that people report, and then, hopefully, we will have the resources to investigate. There are too many pollution incidents, and, as an Assembly, an Executive and a society, we need to make sure that we have a zero-tolerance approach to pollution and encourage people to report such incidents so we can investigate them.

The Minister will be aware that Lough Foyle is still a disputed territory. I know from previous discussions that that fact was inhibiting the Loughs Agency from fulfilling its full range of functions. I also know that it is beyond the Minister's remit to sort out a territorial dispute, but is he aware of any conversations about the matter and whether there are any conversations with the Loughs Agency about its not being able to fulfil its full remit on the preservation, protection and promotion of Lough Foyle?

I thank the Member for his question. That was one of the issues that I was briefed about in my first weeks in post. There are lots of things in the Department that I have to deal with, including issues arising from partition in 1921. I do not know whether I have an immediate solution to that. Other people may say that they do, but it is an ongoing issue with the Loughs Agency and what is essentially unregulated oyster farming in Lough Foyle. It is inextricably linked to the jurisdictional issue, which is a reserved matter. It is not within the competence of my Department or the Northern Ireland Assembly.

I am aware of the concerns about it. Officials from my Department met the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in October 2023 to discuss the challenges. I understand that discussions between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London and the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ireland have recently recommenced on a draft management agreement that would enable authorities to exercise criminal and regulatory discussions about the bed of Lough Foyle. Those discussions are positive, but progress needs to be made soon to prevent further impacts on the environment and to enable the Loughs Agency to regulate aquaculture in Lough Foyle.

I will focus on solutions to the issue with any new Government that come in on 5 July. It has been going on for quite a while. I believe that there are potential solutions, but they are a reserved matter.

It is interesting to hear that the Minister is looking for solutions to partition. I am happy that I have one that I can sit down and chat to him and his Alliance Party colleagues about any time.

[Laughter.]

If they want to have a conversation with me, I think that I can think of one off the top of my head. In any case —.

A Member:

It is not a ghost story.

Exactly. You do not even need to go to a funfair to hear about it.

Does the Minister think that the Loughs Agency's statutory responsibilities should be broadened to include Lough Neagh in order to align all the things that I know that he wants to make happen around it?

I am here to answer questions on agriculture, environment and rural affairs. Those other matters are for outside the Chamber.

When the institutions were established in 1998, it was an oversight that no body existed to cover Lough Neagh. Navigation is not one of the key issues in the Lough Neagh report, but I get that, and I want to engage with colleagues on it over the time ahead. Let us be clear: my immediate focus is on the water quality issues that are associated with Lough Neagh and taking immediate action on that, but I get that it is rather unusual that Lough Neagh has not been covered by a body such as the Loughs Agency or Waterways Ireland. That needs to be considered, so it is a legitimate point to make.

That concludes questions on the statement.