Dr. Eimear Cotter:

We are looking at what is happening in the environment. We are looking at water bodies – rivers, lakes and estuaries. We are looking at the trends in terms of nutrients and pesticides. Based on that information and numerous other data sets, we determine where the main pressures are coming from. The interplay of measures and which measures would be most effective are for the agriculture sector, as it is the expert. We would not be prescriptive about the particular measures that need to happen. We are looking at it from an environmental perspective. We provide the in-depth data, evidence and science to support those decisions.