Mr. John Sydenham:

The OPW has never ruled out a tidal barrier. We will probably need a tidal barrier in the future but the building of infrastructure of that scale will not be needed for approximately 50 years or even longer. Nobody builds that scale of infrastructure today and waits 50 years before using it, because it is obsolete by the time one gets to use it. A key issue is that it only protects against half the problem. There is still the fluvial aspect, which will need defences within the city. I fully appreciate that people have differing views. We have looked at this and it has been handled sensitively. The interventions are modest. Much of the work to the quay walls is necessary regardless of what one's view is since many of them are crumbling. As the Deputy says, there have been issues with regard to the city council's Part 8 planning application, which it withdrew. It will go back into a Part 10 process which will go through the normal channels, including An Bord Pleanála. People will have another opportunity to voice their concerns.