Eileen Lynch (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister and thank him for being with us. I congratulate him on his appointment and wish him luck for the term ahead. I do not want to repeat what has been said. I am conscious of time. The nitrates derogation is incredibly important for farmers, especially as I come from Cork. It is such a big issue in Cork and the wider Munster area.

I am glad to hear the Minister's commitment to retaining our derogation, going forward. I will ask about cross-departmental work. A lot of blame for our water quality falls on farmers, some of which we must accept is deserved. Many measures have been implemented since 2023 to improve the situation and they have been shown to work. There are also Uisce Éireann, local authorities and the impact of wastewater treatment centres. There are cases around the country of sewage and untreated wastewater going into our rivers and waterways. Is there anything that can be done from that point of view? What is being done at an interdepartmental level to deal with that issue? There is a responsibility on farmers but theirs is not the only responsibility.