Dr. Tom Collins:

Generally, we would be concerned about duplication. From the forum's point of view, it is not clear to us where the CER's role begins and the external advisory body's ends. Duplication in this field is an issue and this is part of the reason we are working on the notion of a national forum which would replace some of the existing consultative mechanisms. We have extended, submitted and got approval for a budget of €170,000 this year. This will allow us to move on the appointment of both a manager or chief executive and an education person. It is very clear to me, both from the expert commission's work and from this conversation, that we need to build the forum into the wider community and into constituencies which we have not gone into just yet. The 12 sectoral groups are all there representing their sectors in the forum. They represent the position of whichever sector they are holding. We are deficient in engagement with the wider, non-affiliated public and we need to work on it.

The forum will consider taking on the consultation that is required of the country around river basin management plans. We are developing the term Ms O'Brien used, a "holistic perspective" on things. Local consultation will be a requirement. There will be a requirement for consultation with local users in the river basins, whether they be farmers, tourism operators or fisher-people. They are all stakeholders. Somebody will have to take on the task of engaging directly with those users, and this national forum, with an eye on what is coming out of the tap at the other end, is probably the best placed vehicle through which to do it.