Mr. Jack Nolan:

We do not have any issue with the member states because we work closely with them as much as possible. We communicate clearly with them. Ireland is one of only four regions with a derogation, along with the Netherlands, Denmark and Flanders in Belgium. There is much interest, therefore, in what we are doing here, as there is in our grass-based system. Mr. Harris, Mr. Grant and I attend the nitrates committee and, at every opportunity, we make presentations and bring in experts from Teagasc and elsewhere to discuss what exactly the Irish system is.

The Chairman is correct about the derogation. It is seen as giving member states a competitive advantage. Given there is no derogation in France, for example, it looks at us and queries our water quality and what has happened since expansion in Ireland. That is why the trend the EPA highlighted with the committee in regard to declining water quality is a serious worry for us.