Dr. Eimear Cotter:

We very much follow the data, science and evidence. We have staff at rivers and on lakes looking at what is happening in the environment and considering the data and the evidence, who then take that information and look at where the main pressures are coming from. We do not get involved in prescribing the measures. We leave that to others who are more experienced. There are a range of agricultural bodies out there that can provide advice, including the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Our role is about telling the story of what is happening in the environment to support the decision making process - not in a totally abstract way - to show where the trends are going, when conditions deteriorate and when they improve.