Mr. Ian Lumley:

On the overarching questions raised by Deputy Fitzmaurice from quarries onwards and on other land-use activities and water extraction, there is a unifying principle that should be applied to all land-use activity and land-use change, large and small, namely, going through a public consultation and assessment process in the interests of public health to ensure the protection of water quality, of nature, of air quality and to ensure regulation.

On the issue of quarries, we have been tolerating appalling levels of unregulated quarries, which is unfair to legitimate operators who go through the planning system and have proper water protection. There was a situation in County Roscommon where an oil spillage in a quarry contaminated the water supply in the Strokestown area. This is what happens when a quarry is not managed or regulated properly or is not properly compliant.

The peat issue is self-inflicted because we have failed to put the research into alternatives.