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Environment committee to discuss sand extraction

Boats dredging sand on Lough Neagh. Pic: Mal McCann.
Boats dredging sand on Lough Neagh. Pic: Mal McCann. Boats dredging sand on Lough Neagh. Pic: Mal McCann.

The unauthorised extraction of sand from Lough Neagh is set to be raised at the assembly’s powerful environment committee later today.

Alliance Assembly member Anna Lo, who chairs the committee, last night added her voice to concerns about the continued removal of sand without planning permission from Ireland’s largest freshwater lake.

A request by environment minister Mark H Durkan for several firms involved to halt their activities has been ignored.

The development comes after the Irish News revealed that the Northern Ireland Audit Office is set to investigate the controversial practice.

Large sand barges are used to pump hundreds of tonnes of sand from the lough bed on an almost daily basis.

Department of Environment officials admitted last night that they started "enforcement investigations" almost 16 months ago in February 2014.

Lough Neagh is designated as a Special Protection Area and an Area of Special Scientific Interest.

Ms Lo last night welcomed the audit office probe and said she intends to raise the wider dredging issue at committee level today.

"Lough Neagh is a very special area and is a highly protected area," she said.

"We will ask why there is not enforcement action taken and we understand they are looking at an investigation.

"We are concerned it’s still on-going."

Environment committee member Sandra Overend said: "I welcome the on-going engagement between the Department for the Environment and the Lough Neagh Sand Traders, and hope that an agreement based on sound scientific evidence can soon be reached."

Green Party assembly member Stephen Agnew has warned that continued sand extraction could attract fines from Europe.

James Orr from Friends of the Earth has said there are concerns about the potential impact on the environment.

The DoE previously said "there is an ongoing enforcement investigation."