To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs what consideration his Department has given to increasing the number of fisheries in the Public Angling Estate which have special facilities or provide suitable access for anglers with disabilities.

My Department is responsible for the management and development of Northern Ireland’s Public Angling Estate (PAE) and has an extensive programme of work in place to maintain and improve infrastructure at over 90 waters and stretches of waters where it either owns or leases the fishing rights for those waters. This annual programme of work includes the provision of disabled angling stands and improved pathways or access.

DAERA has an annual target to deliver improvements to 2 sites of the PAE, for improved accessibility under a disability access remit of work. Officials regularly engage with councils, local community and disability groups and charities to discuss upgrades and improvements to infrastructure to improve accessibility for disabled anglers.