Mr. Fintan Towey:

The Farming for Water EIP is actually the biggest EIP introduced to date. In scale it is a very significant intervention. The Deputy asks if it is spread too thinly. Arguably it would be better if we could spread it more widely but it is a range of supplemental measures over and above the basic regulatory requirements. In driving water quality generally, we need to drive better awareness and knowledge around the existing requirements and better compliance with those. As I said in the opening statement, 30% of the farm inspections that have been undertaken were found not to be in compliance. We are looking to expand the inspection regime. The best tool we can deploy here is not the enforcement; it is the education and awareness. This is the one we need to push hardest on in order to bring about the necessary improvement in water quality. The EIP is a very significant intervention of supplemental measures beyond that.