Ms Bernie Connolly:

I think what is coming up a lot here relates, first, to coherence regarding policies. In the second instance, however, as we hear a lot, we need to incentivise farmers in other ways to earn an income in order that they can continue to work the land but also have benefits concerning water quality, biodiversity and climate. It is almost a perfect storm. Many challenges are coming their way and things cannot go on in the way they have been. The Beara Peninsula is probably suffering more from overgrazing with sheep than from issues with water quality. In other parts of Cork, such as Clonakilty Bay, the Teagasc advisory catchments have been looking at that soil in respect of nitrates. That needs to be looked at in the work Teagasc has been carrying out on that catchment, given it is one of the most intensive catchments in the country.