In this episode, Dr Bróna McNeill and Dr Ciara Brennan (Director of the Environmental Justice Network Ireland) discuss their recent report: Lough Neagh’s Future Ownership: Legal and Policy Considerations, which was developed in response to the ecological crisis that has unfolded at the lough over Summer 2023. The conversation takes a deeper dive into some of the issues raised in the report and considers: who currently owns Lough Neagh and the ecological implications of private ownership in this context; whether public ownership might help improve conditions at the lough; and whether ‘Rights of Nature’ can be considered a viable option for securing a more sustainable future for the lough. The discussion also considers the broader context of all of these issues: the catastrophic failure of environmental governance in this jurisdiction, and the pressing cross-border implications of a continued failure to effectively enforce environmental regulations.

The report is available here.

Find out more about EJNI here. Dr Bróna McNeill's Academic Profile