Trevor Sargent
Ceist:174 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for the Environment Heritage and Local Government the progress made in regard to his designation of the State as a nitrate-sensitive area in early June 2003. [23664/03]
Adjournment Debate. - Water Quality.
The European Communities (Protection of Waters Against Pollution from Agricultural Sources) Regulations 2003 identify the whole territory of Ireland as the area to which an action programme will be developed and applied for the purposes of the nitrates directive. Officials of my Department, the Department of Agriculture and Food and the agricultural research institute Teagasc are currently developing proposals for a national action programme which will shortly be the subject of a consultation process with the main farming organisations and other stakeholders.