Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

That is why I started now, so we will have a little time. I hope Senator Murphy may be able to get in as well. I thank the witnesses for their work, for being very proactive citizens on this issue and for bringing it all the way to Leinster House. It is important that we hear from Waterways Ireland and Westmeath County Council. I know the solutions are not easy. There is no perfect solution to this. Leaving the development in situcreates a bit of a mockery of the planning process, but if we are worried about the environment we all know about the environmental impact of demolition and construction waste, which Mr. O'Sullivan mentioned. Fines and penalties are probably somewhere in between. Is there a precedent for that? Is any of the witnesses aware of a precedent for fines for these kinds of private developments that did not have permission, while leaving them in situ? We should hear from Waterways Ireland and Westmeath County Council. I thank our guests.