Dr. Eimear Cotter:

We are happy with our monitoring data. It is comprehensive. We have been doing it for many years and we have a large number of data sets. Our whole monitoring network is put together under the water framework directive and it is looked at by the Commission on a regular basis. It has always been seen to be properly elaborated, so we are completely satisfied with our monitoring.

We were given a new role in 2022 and what needs to happen first of all, is improving compliance under the good agricultural practice, GAP, regulations. We were assigned a new role in 2022 as part of the fifth nitrates action programme to enhance our oversight of local authority agricultural inspections. This is a new area for which we have spent the past two years developing a national agriculture inspections programme. We have a new team in the EPA and we have assigned a certain number of inspections to local authorities, for this year and next year. The number of inspections and the level of follow through on non-compliance had really fallen off. Also, the consistency of the inspections across different local authorities had to be addressed, through this new programme. Mr. Byrne can go into more detail on this, if the committee requires. We are working closely with local authorities on this programme, in terms of improving compliance.