Mr. Conor Dowling-Linehan:

For any development in a special protection area or special area of conservation, an appropriate assessment needs to be done for the construction, and an environmental impact study needs to be done as well as the planning permission and a lease from Waterways Ireland. As far as I know, none of those was completed in this development. There is an environmental aspect as well as it being Government property and there being a lack of planning permission from a local authority. There are a few areas which could set a bad precedent for environmental protection along the River Shannon. It is concerning to anyone who makes a living from the river.