Vol. 533 No. 6
109 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for the Marine and Natural Resources if he will report on the water quality in Lough Corrib, Lough Mask, Lough Conn and Lough Cerren for the year 2000; his views on this in regard to water quality levels in 1997; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9762/01]
Primary responsibility for water quality issues is a matter for my colleague the Minister for the Environment and Local Government. However, in pursuance of their statutory remits in relation to the conservation of fisheries, the central and regional fisheries boards have carried water quality surveys on the lakes referred to by the Deputy. The Central Fisheries Board informs me that these surveys shown and overall improvement in Lower Corrib and a slight deterioration in the open water of Upper Corrib, Mask and Carra. Lough Conn showed some deterioration in the early 1980s and again in the early 1990s.
In the context of the Corrib Plan, financed through the Tourism Angling Measure, the Western Regional Fisheries Board has reviewed the water quality data from 1997 to 2000 in the Corrib catchment. Some localised adverse impacts have been recorded in several rivers within the catchment due to domestic sewage, afforestation and agriculture. There are some specific locations in the lakes where quality is affected adjacent to inflowing rivers. However, there is no evidence of a significant worsening trend overall between 1997 and 2000.
