Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 October 2025
206. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment if he will arrange for an independent and transparent investigation into the recent Blackwater fish kill; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57239/25]
View answerAn investigation into the Blackwater incident was carried out by the Inter-Agency Group, established at my direction to coordinate the investigation. This investigation was comprehensive and transparent and included over 40 site inspections, habitat surveys, water and pathology testing and advanced lab analysis, the results of which were published as they became available. All reports are available at [www.fisheriesireland.ie/publications].
While a specific source was not found, the investigation conclusively ruled out a range of potential causes such as disease, water quality and discharges and provided reassurance that this was a short-lived event, with no evidence of an ongoing pollution risk. A summary report has also been published by the Group which provides a clear account of the response to, and the investigation into, the incident.
My priority now is to learn from this event and to ensure that we are better prepared to prevent and respond to such incidents in the future. I have written to the Board of Inland Fisheries Ireland (IF), asking IFI to lead an independent review on behalf of the Inter-Agency Group. The purpose of this review would be to consider the actions taken during the Blackwater incident, assess their effectiveness and make recommendations on how prevention and response measures can be improved. The review will also benchmark existing response systems against recognised best practice, to ensure that our protocols are aligned with comparable models of environmental incident management.
