Dr. Eimear Cotter:

We are looking at what is happening in water. We are looking at, for example, nutrient levels, nitrogen and phosphorus. Linking what is happening in the water environment back to what is happening at farm level is an area where there is a gap. We do not know how the practices and the changes the farmers are making on the land relate to the changes that we are seeing in water quality. That is a gap that we have identified and we would like to see Teagasc lead out on improving our knowledge in this space.

We know the standards that need to be achieved in terms of water quality. We know the tonnage reduction of nitrogen that needs to be achieved in terms of bringing nitrogen out of the system. What does that mean in terms of practices on the farm? That is not our area of expertise. That is not where the EPA can add its competence and expertise but certainly, in terms of Teagasc, we would like to be able to link the farm practices to what is needed in the environment.