Mr. Denis Drennan:

The question was what can the committee do. We are looking for flexibility around the edges of the derogation. We have a short timeframe before we apply for the next derogation. We are probably looking at that process beginning in 12 or 13 months' time. We do not have time to let the grass grow under our feet. However, with what is happening with both planning and TAMS, we have lost 14 months and counting at this point. If water quality is such an important issue, why have we dragged our feet and not got the planning? I accept the Oireachtas is involved in the planning legislation that is being changed at the moment. We certainly need to eliminate people who are allowed to object to farmers, or any individual, doing the right thing. It makes no sense that somebody can be dragged through a system where you have to do an appropriate assessment on a simple job of extending your farmyard and doing the right thing to protect water quality. It makes no sense. From a European point of view, it would be helpful if this committee could write a letter to the Commission to see if flexibility could be given in lieu of the disastrous document that was signed. The risk of becoming eutrophic stated in Article 12 is the one that is catching most of the country. It is not an increase in nitrates. It is not a drop in water quality, it is just at risk of becoming eutrophic. Even if you are part of a catchment, and at the source of the catchment, and your water is pristine you are still dragged down by this decision. That makes absolutely no sense. It is subcatchment level. We need to look at the catchment, what is wrong in the catchment and what we need to do to solve it. There are people in parts of that catchment where water is pristine or of good quality, or is of stable good quality or improving. How can we justify those people being penalised?