Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to detail any consideration that has been given to establishing a cross-departmental body to co-ordinate action on the governance of Lough Neagh.
Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs: I recognise the need for coordinated cross-departmental action and collaboration to achieve successful delivery of the actions in the Lough Neagh Action Plan and my officials have established a Lough Neagh Programme Board to oversee delivery and governance.
In addition, I recognise the necessity of wider collaboration to build consensus with the public and private sectors, including local government, and the community. To assist with this, I have established and will be chairing the first quarterly Lough Neagh Stakeholder Forum on 12 December 2024.
ENDS
Your MLA 