Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their opening statement and for their attendance. I have some questions. As a lot of information has been put out already, I will try to not repeat what has been said. As time is very much of the essence regarding this issue, when it comes to the engagement with the Commission, will the witnesses give us more information on what grounds the Department has sought that flexibility? Its representatives have repeated a number of times that the argument and the Commission's approach is not economic and very much based on environmental matters and the science. Given that is the fact and that is its approach, how strong an argument we have made on that specific basis?

I appreciate the water quality working group was only established in May but has it met yet? How many times has it met and what is the timeline for that group's work to make sure it can feed in to the interim review? Likewise, what is the interim review's timeline to start and finish, again with it very much in mind that time is of the essence in this matter?

It has been mentioned a few times that new measures have been put in place. Farmers are working very hard because they need this to work if they want to keep the derogation, so naturally they will do whatever is required of them to do. Regarding the new measures themselves, are the witnesses confident they are enough to improve water quality? The measures that are in place this year will not be seen until next year and that is why the report from the EPA is almost premature, in that it does not take into account those measures that farmers have been doing and continue to do. Are the witnesses confident that the measures in place today and that have been taken this year are enough?

Lastly, the point has made relating to confusion, particularly around the EPA report, and I take what the Senator said regarding the maps in particular. Given that it has said that Mr. Massey has had a number of sessions at Moorepark, I presume a lot of that confusion was raised at those sessions. Can we get more information relating to the feedback given directly from farmers at those sessions who are the ones we obviously need to hear from? I welcome that the witnesses said this will be about working together. That is really important and needs to happen as quickly as possible because it is about time.