Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State, his officials and I all know that an amount of silt and peat has built up in the River Shannon over the years. Bord na Móna has major works in the localities right along the River Shannon in Roscommon, Longford, and Offaly. Has the Minister of State had any discussions with Bord na Móna about a possible dredging scheme to remove some of that silt from the Shannon? I am sure the Minister of State will agree that capacity has been taken up by the build-up of silt and other things on the Shannon. We need to get a dredging and drainage programme going as quickly as possible. Have we brought Bord na Móna on board? Is there any possibility of it coming on board, even on a pilot basis, to remove some of that silt?