Ms Mary Gurrie:

We do not have the evidence, as such. The south east has a particular problem with nitrogen and that is where many of the derogation farms are. That is also an area which has the most intensified agriculture as the land tends to be the best. That is the area. What we are seeing overall is a correlation between intensification, increased animal numbers and increased fertiliser numbers and losses of nitrogen, but we cannot separate out the intensification from the derogation piece. Is that fair enough, Dr. Deakin? Yes. We cannot say it is the derogation, but it is the overall intensification in that region which has impacted. Teagasc, which operates the agricultural catchments programme, is looking specifically at derogation and the impacts of derogation farms.