I welcome the decision of the European nitrates committee yesterday to pass the extension of the nitrates derogation for our agriculture sector. I ask the Leader to organise a debate in the new year on the nitrates derogation, specifically in respect of water quality. I asked for two Ministers to come here before and I do not want to make a habit of it. I will let the Leader make the call but I think it is important that it would be the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage who would take that debate specifically on water quality and the role of local authorities and Irish Water when it comes to improving our water quality. The stick is used continuously to beat and blame the farmer. There is additional conditionality with the extension to our nitrates derogation. That conditionality and those actions will be met and embraced by the farming community and implemented. If it was farming alone, I can guarantee the Minister our water quality would be far better, greater and higher than it is.

We all know the problems with Irish Water and local authorities so we need an action plan from that side of the house to improve our water quality or again, the farmers will be left on a cliff edge in three years with the potential of not knowing whether their livelihoods are going to be maintained or whether this derogation will be extended again in three years if water quality is not where it should be. It will not, ultimately, be their fault if it is not. We need to have that debate and if the Leader can bring in the two Ministers, so be it. If not, the important side, from our side of the conversation, has to be with the Minister for housing and local government in regard to what actions local governments and Irish Water are going to take to ensure farmers are not hung out to dry again in three years.