Ms Maria Graham:

I will come in on a point of information. At this point members are exploring three options. In synopsis, the existing regime which includes a suspension, charges funded entirely from taxation and a scenario based on the expert commission report. From the evolving conversation there are obviously very different perspectives on that and there are risks associated with what would be a compliant funding model. I did not want to get into that precisely, but simply for information I will say that the focus has been on what we said in the first river basin management plan. We are now in the process of doing the second river basin management plan and we are close to going out to public consultation on that. It will reflect that the Oireachtas is seized with looking at this issue at this stage, and then we will be finalising those plans. In those final plans we, as I state, will have to set out how whatever model has been chosen following the process is in compliance. That will have to take account the risks associated with different models, which members are informing themselves of. That timeline is due during the course of this year and by the end of 2017 we will be finalising the second cycle river basin management plans.