Mr. Brendan Gleeson:

It is true to say we have very high-quality waters. I am fearful of saying this because I might be wrong but the situation is that our pristine waters are diminishing in quality and our middle-grade waters are improving slightly in quality. The overall picture, however, is not great in terms of the direction of travel. We just have to be very careful that we do not throw the baby out with the bath water. If we are making a pitch for Irish agriculture on an international market based on its environmental sustainability, we have to be sure that we are doing what we are saying we do. This consultation is part of that effort.