Barry Cowen (Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Irish Water for the presentation. Many of our questions have been alluded to by previous speakers.

In recent weeks and months, many people have come to this debate who had not engaged with the issue previously, many of whom live in the vicinity of the area which the pipeline transverses. Needs must on their part. Irish Water briefly outlined the process, which involved four different stages of consultation during the discussions around the various routes that had been proposed until it arrived at the preferred route option.

As Deputy Ó Broin acknowledged and referred to, much of the guiding factors, background and relevant scientific information that led Irish Water to arrive at the preferred route was based on information and reports that date back to 2006 and so forth. From some of the engagement I have had with landowners and communities who believe they will be impacted, perhaps in a negative way, it is a case of the consultation needing to be such that people are properly engaged, informed and allowed to make a more informed decision than is currently the case.

It would be no harm if, for example, Irish Water could produce a document that gave a brief synopsis of the process to date, including where it was initiated, its current status, how it arrived at its current status and where it can go.

Deputy Ó Broin also referred to the infamous Kennedy report. I am led to believe that Irish Water is meeting the authors or their representatives in the coming weeks. It would be no harm to produce a document highlighting Irish Water's response to what is contained in the report in order for people to easily ascertain the issues that are being communicated to them, how Irish Water has responded to them, how it will respond and how their fears can be allayed.

I wish to elaborate on some of the points made by Irish Water. We acknowledge the significance of the project and the benefits that will accrue to Dublin and the greater midlands area. Irish Water has gone through a process and will go through another to devise a national water framework to ensure the resource is available to all regions and to allow all regions to realise that potential and not be hamstrung by deficiencies regarding the provision of water services. We need to be sure at this juncture that sufficient resources are available to other regions so that they can, where necessary, be able to attract investment from an industrial and residential perspective in terms of their potential.

Costs have been disputed at various meetings I have attended. I have heard a figure of €1.2 billion mentioned. In previous discussions I had with Irish Water figure of €850 million and €950 million were mentioned. Have the costs remained consistent with the original projections?

I hope that in the other documentation Irish Water produces it will identify routes that were explored and the reasons they did not meet with approval following the processes and procedures involved. People have mentioned canals and railway lines to me.

In my constituency, Bord na Móna had a fine proposal to have a storage facility at Cloneyhurke which had the potential to attract investment to the area in terms of watersports, activities and so forth, which I would have welcomed, enjoyed and been in a position to expand and explore. That community needs to be re-appraised in terms of the conclusions that were arrived at and why the State's capital investment is for the betterment of the entire region rather than any individual area.

If the documentation about the entire process is easily accessed and understood, it will help. What stage is Irish Water at in respect of consultation with landowners? Has expertise been engaged? Is independent expertise available to landowners to enable them to make an informed decision before they eventually sign agreements? There is much fear and trepidation on the part of some at public meetings I have attended regarding backfill and reinstatement of the land. Any dichotomy on the land of dairy farmers would have a greater effect than on other types of farming activity. Have Irish Water officials examined the different farm holdings and activities on the land and scaled them into priorities thereafter?

There will be greater emphasis when it comes to the planning application on environmental impact issues. Studies will have to be carried out and will have to be available during the planning process for people to scrutinise, comment on and object to or support. Each local authority along the route will have an opportunity, as is the norm, to make a submission to An Bord Pleanála based on consultation with the elected representatives, management and the expertise available to them. Each of them has a development plan, which may be impacted, and that will need to be highlighted. Councillors also need to be fully informed and briefed in order that they can play the role expected of them by their constituents in so far as they can protect their development plans or amend them accordingly if there is a benefit to doing so.