Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

It goes way back before my time so I am not necessarily in a position to give that background. It would have been managed by the Department with responsibility for housing over that period. The bottom line is that the nitrates directive was about improving water quality across EU member states. Everyone in the EU works to the same food and environmental standards. This is even more important for us because we export 90% of the food we produce. The vast majority of the food we produce is exported to other EU member states, which is by and large the best paying market at global level. When we export our food to EU member states, although we export a good bit to the UK, we must work to the food safety and environmental standards those EU member states have to apply themselves. This is the context. The bottom line is that we must show improved water quality. This must be our objective.