Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will be very brief. I was attending other meetings so I have not heard everything and I do not want to repeat questions. I thank the ICMSA representatives for being here. I will ask a broad question and they can answer it in the context of what has already been dealt with. We have had many debates and a lot of public discourse on climate action obligations. For the most part, it has been shown that the broad public recognise that we need to produce good quality food, that Ireland is good at doing that, and that any climate action measures need to be taken in the context of the global situations we will face. There is a lot of empathy and support for the farming community.

When it comes to water quality, things are a little different. We cannot blame the Brazilians for poor water quality in Ireland. If watercourses are polluted, then the source is here. It is important to say that the source is not always farmers but in the context of the nitrates directive and our ambition, shared by almost everybody in the country, to have the most pristine watercourses possible, where do the representatives see actions being taken when it can be shown that individual farms are contributing to deterioration of those water sources? What is the best approach to be taken to address those issues recognising, as I said, that it is not always farmers who are responsible? There is no doubt, however, that there are instances where individual farms are contributing to that deterioration. In those instances, what measures are required to address that on an on-farm basis?