Mr. Jack Nolan:

No, as the Minister said at the start, the competent authorities in respect of these regulations are the local authorities and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. It is national law. Every farmer in the country has to comply with it. The local authorities do carry out inspections. We are talking to them about making them more meaningful and that they do it better because that is part of the whole nitrates action programme. You would be outside the loop for Department inspections for nitrates because the Department does it for cross-compliance if you receive basic payment, but the local authority should still be there inspecting you.