Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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1249. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the steps he is taking to address the detection of pesticides including MCPA, 2,4-D, mecoprop, fluroxypyr, glyphosate and triclopyr in County Cork in 2019 and 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17498/21]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Efforts to address the issue of pesticide detections in drinking water are being coordinated by the National Pesticides and Drinking Water Action Group (NPDWAG), which is chaired by my Department. NPDWAG membership encompasses a wide range of key stakeholders, including other Government departments and agencies, local authorities, industry representative bodies, farming organisations, water sector organisations and amenity sector organisations. Actions taken include awareness-raising measures, measures to promote Integrated Pest Management approaches, regulatory measures concerning various plant protection products and measures to promote research to protect water quality.

Irish Water monitor public water supplies for pesticides and report the results to the EPA, who are the regulator for drinking water quality. The NPDWAG takes a range of actions in specific areas identified by the EPA. These areas include some water supplies in Cork. Cork County Council are represented on the NPDWAG and they work in partnership with other NPDWAG stakeholders as part of a coordinated approach to the protection of drinking water quality.

Measures at national level implemented under the Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive are important as well. These include training of pesticide users, distributors and advisors, inspection and certification of pesticide application equipment, and safeguard zones to protect drinking water sources. Other important measures are specified in the principles of Good Plant Protection Practice (GPPP), which all professional users of pesticides are legally obliged to follow.

A number of specific regulatory measures relating to MCPA products have been introduced in recent years. These include a reduction in the maximum allowed application rate for products that only contain MCPA, an extended prohibited use period, and a mandatory no-spray buffer zone of 5 m along all watercourses. My Department has also introduced a mandatory product stewardship scheme, in force since the start of 2018, making it a regulatory requirement for companies marketing products containing MCPA to participate in a programme of intensive monitoring of raw water in priority drinking water catchment areas for MCPA and chemically similar active substances.

This is an area of active engagement with all stakeholders for my Department.