asked the Minister for Agriculture if he has been able to ascertain why the mud released by the emptying of the lake at Leixlip, County Kildare, on 1st August last proved toxic to the fish in the river while on three previous occasions it was not toxic; and, if so, whether he will state such reason.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Leixlip Fish Poisoning.
When the reservoir at Leixlip was emptied in August last a large quantity of mud which had been lying on the bed of the reservoir and which, it may be presumed, as is usual with mud deposits in similar conditions, had become toxic to fish life, passed through the dam. The river was low at the time and the consequent high concentration of toxic mud caused the death by asphyxiation and/or direct poisoning of salmon and trout which were in the waters immediately below the dam. No mud was observed to go through the dam when the reservoir was emptied on previous occasions and if any did actually pass through the quantity must have been so small as to be insufficient to result in mortality of salmon and trout.
Does the Parliamentary Secretary not know the reason why it happened on this occasion? I am interested only in seeing that it does not recur.
Yes, I think that the reason it happened on this occasion was that some drainage works had been carried out further up the river and there was an unusually large deposit of mud. That has been offered as the explanation. Of course, the salmon apparently rushed up to the dam when this water was suddenly released while the trout, in contradistinction, do not do that, and consequently there was not such mortality of trout as there was of salmon. In any case, steps have been taken to ensure that any further operation of this kind will be done in collaboration with an observer from the Department of Fisheries.
Was there a prosecution?
I do not think that a prosecution would have been justified in the circumstances.
The person to be prosecuted would be the Tánaiste.