Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for their contributions. I wish to follow up with the representatives of Uisce Éireann on the suggestion relating to compulsory purchase orders. I will focus on a particular part of the issue. When those powers are with local authorities, there is a safeguard against over-reach in the use of those powers. That safeguard is the elected councillors. The water services division of a local authority may over-reach in its use of CPO powers by looking at a situation only in terms of provision of infrastructure when there are other aspects to be considered. In my constituency, for example, a utility company is considering putting in a depot in a location that the local authority would never consider because it is a scenic and high-amenity area. It is probably one of the most scenic areas on the east coast but the utility company, oblivious to that, wants to put in a depot. It is just thinking about its own needs or whatever rather than considering the overall context. If that power was with a local authority, councillors would be able to bring common sense to bear on the proposal. In the context of CPO powers for Uisce Éireann, given that it does not have direct accountability to local councillors or whatever, what safeguards are there in respect of over-reach, over-use or only considering a matter from the perspective of the needs of the utility or infrastructure? The latter is a very important piece of it and I am not taking from that but what safeguards are in place in that respect?