Mr. Colm Byrne:

The Deputy asked about the main items. The first is enforcement. We are increasing enforcement resources within local authorities. If the Deputy wants more details, Ms Archibold can speak to that. That is very much about driving compliance. Under the nitrates directive, local authorities, as mentioned by the EPA, have responsibility for broad implementation and enforcement. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has responsibility for derogation farms, etc. We share that burden.

There has been a huge amount of work done in the context of the CAP strategic plan. We have negotiated with colleagues in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and others to try to build more water protection and improvement measures into that. We have been successful to a degree. It became very obvious to us that there is a certain amount of inflexibility with eco-schemes, acres, etc. in that people have signed up to contracts and whatever comes out of that. We recognise the need for something a bit more flexible. It goes back to the message regarding a targeted approach.

In fact, as Mr. Towey just mentioned, where we have seen a bucking of the trend is where we have taken a very targeted approach. In fact, we have seen only a 3% decline but if we look at priority action areas, we have seen a 16% improvement. We are trying to double down and get a better outcome there. We have enough resources at the moment for about 15,000 farmers to be included in this water EIP. That will be driven by the science that, again, was reflected in discussions with the EPA. The EPA has developed very helpful pollution impact potential, PIP, maps where, at a very local level, we can see where exactly measures need to be put in place. The intention is to engage with farmers on, for example, where measures need to be taken on certain parts of their farms, and those PIP maps will support that.

Another benefit is that is now under control of local authorities. The local authority water programme won the competitive tendering, so they will have control of that. They have interest, if you like, and now they have the resources to do that.