Ms Maria O'Dwyer:

We endeavour, across many of our capital programmes, to achieve a net biodiversity gain. That is a key priority for us. We want to be able to leave the environment better than we find it. We want to be able to work with the local community. We have had great engagement, to be fair, from the majority of the farmers along the route. There are 500 different landowners along it. We have had access to 90% of their lands for site investigations. Our land liaison team has been in close engagement with them all. We are hoping to get agreement with the farming bodies in order that we can issue wayleave packages to access the land there.

We are aware that there are issues with TB. That matter is in the news, and the Department of agriculture is working on it. We will support that work, but we would see it very much as being led by the Department. We will work with the farmers wherever we can.