Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for joining the meeting so late. I got caught up with other meetings. My apologies. My questions will be brief as time has moved on.

I ask Mr. Nolan or the Minister to comment on the Teagasc agricultural catchments programme in respect of nitrates. The programme involves six different locations, one of which is in Timoleague. It has been running for the past decade. Where does that fit into the data that are being collected in respect of the science on the nitrates issue itself? I received a very interesting presentation today on the issue. I refer to the six catchment areas, the different soil types and the issues in the context of nitrates and how they are being affected. From an agricultural point of view, it was really good information to get out there on how a soil type could be the more defining factor when it comes to nitrates.

It also brought into focus the issues in respect of a very dry summer. If there is a very dry summer, as was the case in 2018 - maybe Mr. Nolan will comment on that - the nitrate levels in all rivers automatically go up because of the environmental factors relating to a dry summer. There is a significant amount of information there of which I think the farming community is not aware. It is a body of work that the committee may take on board at some stage. We need to start considering the organic nitrogen - not the bad nitrogen - that is being produced, how that can be affected by weather conditions and how it can affect river quality. Even if farmers were to grow vast quantities of clover tomorrow morning, that does not mean the organic nitrogen will not leach out of their soil, depending on the soil type, and go into rivers.

There is a significant amount of information we could consider in respect of the Teagasc-run institution for the past decade. Does the Minister have plans to invest more in this programme? It is being run on only six sites at the moment. What is the view of Mr. Nolan on the programme? Where does he believe this information ties in? I believe Teagasc has slightly different figures, in terms of quantification of nitrates, from the EPA.

Am I right in saying it measures water quality every ten minutes regarding machines and the EPA, which measures four or five times a year? The Minister and Mr. Nolan might comment on where this will feed into the process?