Results 3,421-3,440 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: That was a very helpful round of questions from Deputy Ó Broin because it has focused us. I know how it is when you are only given one wish. There are four sets of witnesses and I have eight wishes written down so the Deputy did well out of that round of questions. Just to clarify, on the Deputy's opening comment, I was not suggesting there is not engagement in my constituency with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: -----citizens' groups, coastal care groups, Tidy Towns groups and people with a concern. I just said the phone does not ring off the desk. I am sure the Deputy's inbox is the same.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: I want it to be that issue because that is what actually makes politicians react much of the time. We can lead and we can set out what our objectives are and where we should be going and much of it is directed by European directives. If it was not for European directives we would be way behind where we are at the moment but it is about how we get it so when I knock on a door, someone asks...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: Fortunately, I have a long list of questions. In the draft it plan it says 54% of water bodies are at risk. The river basin management plan set out that by 2027 we achieve "good" status. Is it reasonable, or do our guests have confidence, that we can attain good status for all those water bodies within five years? I think I remember the first river basin management plan and it certainly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: That is what I remember. It was a lot sooner than 2027, anyway.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: Are we going to be looking for a derogation on the water framework directive similar to our derogations on the nitrates directive? Furthermore, where are we on the European league table when it comes to compliance with the nitrates directive or the water framework directive? They are European directives and it is important we benchmark ourselves against those performing the best and see how...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: Yes. Dr. McGoff and Ms O'Brien are indicating.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: I thank Dr. McGoff. I will go to Ms O'Brien and then come back to Mr. Burgess.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: Does Mr. Burgess see a point when we will not need derogations on the nitrates directive?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: If you take water quality, climate emissions and everything, does Mr. Burgess see a switch in the situation where the stocking rate would meet that as set out?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: That depends on the soil type, the slope and the location.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: An Taisce might have mentioned forestry in its submission. I ask the witnesses to expand on the legacy forestry issues we have. Many of our forestry issues go back 25 or 30 years or more. How would An Taisce deal with those situations now? Is our forestry going in the right direction? Did An Taisce mention that in its submission?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: I would agree with Dr. Crowe. We probably did not do it right over the years. That is why it is a negative thing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: We definitely did not do it right. There is a massive reduction in the pristine water category. Was it An Taisce or SWAN that detailed this in its submission?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: From a figure of how many?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: What are the main reasons that we have gone from 500 to 20? We have heard that forestry is one of them so has analysis been done on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: There is a question in the An Taisce submission I am interested in and that was not answered. The submission states: Teagasc were asked to do some modelling of various scenarios to inform policy decisions to reduce nitrate runoff from agriculture [This is "The Impact of Nitrogen Management Strategies within Grass Based Dairy Systems"]. One of the main drivers identified was that cattle...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: Okay, I accept that. To clarify, that was a question submitted by An Taisce that I find interesting. If Dr. O'Mara does not have that data, I will not put him on the spot and ask for them. An interesting question has been raised, however. If Dr. O'Mara wants to give us a written submission, I would be happy with that or he may want to have a stab at it now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Draft River Basin Management Plan for Ireland 2022-2027: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Steven Matthews: Okay. I thank Mr. Burgess. I thought that was an interesting question to ask. We got quite a lot of questions on agriculture but the other main sources, obviously, are wastewater treatment plants and discharges to rivers or lakes. There was a suggestion that Irish Water should clearly itemise the mediation measures that are required across the entire system. Who made that submission?