Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 10 July 2024
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Compliance with the Nitrates Directive and Implications for Ireland: Discussion (Resumed)
5:30 pm
Dr. Eimear Cotter:
It involves looking at all of the pressures. In agriculture, it is not just derogation farmers. I know that is the focus here. It involves all farmers and involves looking at the issues, targeting our measures at the right place and looking at the other pressures that affect water quality. The second most significant pressure is physical changes to our water environments - our draining, dredging, channelisation and physical barriers. We are improving our knowledge there about how this impacts water quality. This is a pressure that needs to be addressed. Forestry is the third most significant pressure. Again, a significant number of bodies are impacted by forestry and that will need to be addressed. The fourth issue is urban wastewater discharges. All of these pressures need to be tackled. We are dealing with each of the sectors. We have a lot of engagement. The focus on water quality has never been greater. All sectors, including the agricultural sector, are keen to - as I showed those bar charts earlier - reduce the number of water bodies and reduce their sector in terms of being on the pressure list.