Speeches by Robinson.

“This is a real issue, which crystallises in two and a half months’ parliamentary time—three months’ real time—so I am asking: will the solution be in place to prevent market stagnation?”

“Mr Darby, you helpfully mentioned, as a scene setter, that Lough Neagh is a commercial lough. It is not a sanitised reservoir or pleasure facility. Though it has those qualities, it is also commercial. There has been an issue around sand dredging, and you mentioned it. Have you any discernible sense of the ecological i…”

“A year ago, you got agreement for the Lough Neagh action plan. You have mentioned that this is an Executive-wide Northern Ireland issue and that you need everyone to put their shoulder to the wheel. You were frustrated that it took three months, but you have had a year to implement the action plan. Of the 37 actions wi…”

“I agree. Infrastructurally, I think that has been the case for at least a decade. My question is whether your Minister agrees.”

“How many times has the Minister for Infrastructure met you about action 12?”

“Mr Curran, you are going to get different questions from my colleague Ms Eastwood around wastewater treatment, so I do not want to focus on that. You have acknowledged the scale of the phosphorus that Northern Ireland Water is pumping into the lough. There are seven entry points at which human waste is going in. That i…”

“There is, yes. We heard this morning from a range of witnesses, all of whom could be considered to be lough users. In fairness, you have tried to expand the culprits, if I can put it that way, to include Northern Ireland Water. You have been good enough to appear before this Westminster Select Committee, yet Northern I…”

“Good morning, Minister and team. Julie, it is good to see you. I know you from my Belfast City Council days.”

“No, that is the wrong Minister. It is infrastructure.”

“Mr Irvine, on that point, I met a farmer a number of weeks ago who said to me that he is concerned about run-off, overspray and the impact that has on water quality. If he were to put in an application for an anaerobic digester, he would be turned down on environmental grounds. His motivation would be environmental pro…”

“I do not think I was very clear. Your Minister did not agree with your proposition about the scale of investment required. I think it was your own Minister who then ordered an audit of Northern Ireland Water because they were not convinced. I see that you are smiling, Mr Curran. It was not a Minister of my party. I am …”

“No, I mean that compliance would be in adhering to legal standards and requirements. You are suggesting that you need more money just to comply with the law.”

“Forgive me for being rude, but did you say that non-compliance requires finance?”

“Mr Irvine, on that point, I met a farmer a number of weeks ago who said to me that he is concerned about run-off, overspray and the impact that has on water quality. If he were to put in an application for an anaerobic digester, he would be turned down on environmental grounds. His motivation would be environmental pro…”

“Can you indicate to us what the financial consequence has been of this increased work to clean water around Lough Neagh?”

“Is that disturbing the mineral content of the water?”

“Is that charcoal?”

“Can you indicate to us what the financial consequence has been of this increased work to clean water around Lough Neagh?”

“Was the illegal extraction in the north-west as well, or is it everywhere in the lough?”

“The five licences that have been issued by the Earl of Shaftesbury are not the sum total of the sand dredging that occurs in Lough Neagh. For the last decade, there has been a lot of illegal sand dredging in Lough Neagh as well. That will not have formed part of the earlier permissions that were granted after assessmen…”