Mr. Jerry Grant:

I will do my best but a lot of statements have been made about numbers that are, I think, misrepresenting matters in a large way. I do not question the members' bona fides at all but the statements are not reflective of the underlying data and analysis that was carried out over many years by experts and specialists in this field.

To Deputy Ó Broin, at a broad level I would say that the project is a scheme for the generations. This is a multigenerational project and diversification from the Liffey is absolutely critical. Over the next ten or 20 years we are going to see the bite of climate change on the Liffey, which I think will force us down. We have reflected that to a minor degree in our longer-term projections of available water in Dublin. It could be a lot more severe than those projections suggest. The whole management and oversight of Poulaphouca reservoir between ourselves and the ESB is something we are discussing with them very carefully at the moment. Every drop of water there is critical to the figures we are banking on. We welcome all the feedback we have got and view it as critical testing of our approach ahead of the ultimate independent assessment of this project, which is An Bord Pleanála, where every element of the technical evaluation of the project will be tested and I believe will be found to be very strong indeed. It will be all the better for the fact that so many issues have been raised and worked through by my team and the various experts who have worked on it.

On the issue of delay and extended time, we consider this to be a massively urgent project but we also recognise that the environmental impact statement, EIS, documentation, the Natura impact statement and all of the planning support documents are immensely complex. There is a huge amount of survey work carried out on Lough Derg, for example, and a huge amount of environmental modelling. We have had massive engagement with landowners along the route. A lot of that engagement around the routing of the pipe, for example, has included in the final analysis tweaking of the pipes around matters which it was very important were identified, constraints we would not have seen at the macro level. When we get down and talk to people on the ground, they point out features we should try to avoid. We have worked through that to the betterment of the project. I am extremely grateful to all of the stakeholders and the great co-operation we have had over the past year or two. We have carried out a huge amount of survey work, site investigation and so on.

Ultimately, the submission of this to An Bord Pleanála in the middle of 2019 is dependent on the abstraction legislation. There is absolutely no disagreement whatsoever between us and Government on this project. The funding of it is included in the national development plan and it is recognised as an immensely critical project. We did have discussions around the legislative framework within which we would apply for the abstraction licence. We had a number of options to consider. The 1964 Act involves abstractions from reservoirs and there is also the 1946 Act. However, the passage of time and the burden - and benefit - of environmental legislation is such that we need our abstraction legislation updated. In order for us to take a project of this scale, complexity and importance to An Bord Pleanála, there should be certainty around the legislation. The commitment from Government is to endeavour to have that legislation in place. It is not just related to this project but also to compliance with the water framework directive. It relates also to many other abstractions that we urgently need to progress around the country. We have many regional schemes that we want to progress.