Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) is the lead authority for the Nitrates Regulations and the associated Nitrates Action Programme (NAP). My Department works very closely with DHLGH in this regard.

Officials from both Departments attend regular meetings of the European Commission's Nitrates Committee and Expert Group. To date in 2023, three of these meetings were scheduled (March, June and September). Officials from both my Department and DHLGH attended these meetings.

In addition, officials from both Departments have met the Commission Services responsible for the Nitrates Directive, in January, June, July and September of this year to discuss specific matters relating to Ireland's Nitrates Derogation and NAP. A further meeting solely involving Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Officials took place in March.

In addition to regularly meeting at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council, I met Commissioner Sinkevicius at the start of September along with Officials from DHLGH and my own Department. That bilateral was focussed on Ireland's current Nitrates Derogation.

At a national level, officials from my own Department and DHLGH meet very regularly to discuss matters in relation to water quality and the Nitrates Directive.

These Officials also jointly chair the Nitrates Expert Group (NEG), comprising of senior scientific experts from both Departments, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Teagasc. The NEG provides myself and Minister O'Brien, with scientific advice on measures under the NAP. NEG meetings are held regularly throughout the year, and more frequently during a full or mid-term review of the NAP.

Separately, my Officials engage Teagasc on a regular basis to provide scientific data to inform and support policy decisions under the NAP as well as interpretation of matters relating to Ireland's Nitrates Derogation and the Nitrates Directive. My Officials also oversee Teagasc's Agricultural Catchment's Programme which was set up to monitor the impacts of Ireland's Nitrates Derogation.

In May 2023 I established the Agriculture Water Quality Working Group consisting of stakeholders and representative across the agri-food industry. The Working Group includes representatives from Teagasc and DHLGH working with a number of my own Officials. The EPA are participating as observers on that Working Group which has met six times to date.

A number of engagements happen on an on-going across this work area, where the Government Departments and State Agencies work alongside the European Commission with the common objective of improving our water quality.