Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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I thank Senators Dooley and Ruane for letting me in ahead of them. I am under pressure due to a family commitment as well as Leaders' Questions. It is a very interesting and important discussion, as was said by others. I thank all the presenters for giving us their insights into this issue.

This question has been asked in other ways but I will ask the IFA and the INHFA quite directly about the extent to which they accept that there is a problem and that we have a biodiversity crisis. Do they, for example, accept the Environmental Protection Agency report on water quality or how SWAN has defined it? That is a direct question. I will not get into the argument about the science but do they accept that we have a crisis on our hands?

I have a little sympathy with the position outlined in the INHFA presentation insofar as it sees the law as being targeted at one of the best behaved population of farmers, namely, those on hillsides in the west, whereas it has been identified, particularly by SWAN, that the real problem with nitrates, nitrogen and pollution of our waters is coming from the south and the south east. That implies the real problem stems from the big dairy industry rather than hillside farmers and the emphasis in the legislation is on hillside farmers rather than on the damage done by that industry. It suggests a certain preoccupation in the law with those who live in the areas that are least offensive, including peatland areas and hills, etc. While I accept those areas need to be rewetted and it is very important, there is an imbalance in the way the legislation is looking at them rather than the biggest polluters from animals, fertilisers and slurry. I ask for a comment on that.

My last question is on Coillte and the Gresham House deal. We saw a major backlash from the public and many campaigns regarding this deal. The Government has decided that it had better not push this too far.

This is because it has recognised that what it is doing is allowing a company to buy itself carbon offsets to further pollute the land. As Coillte is the biggest landholder in the State, it is pretty disgraceful that the Government and Coillte have gone for this kind of response. I ask for comment on that. Will all the organisations represented tell me if they are opposed to that deal, especially SWAN and the Environmental Pillar, which have given us the clearest outline of what needs to be done for the environment? I thank the Cathaoirleach for letting me in.