Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Gould is a gentleman. Go raibh maith agat. I thank the witnesses for attending today, not only Waterways Ireland but all those who live on our waterways. They are incredibly valuable resources to us. The Royal Canal is in my neck of the woods at the city end, from Spencer Dock out. The work going on there is commendable. We always knew it was a great resource, not only as a waterway but also locally. The upgrade of the greenway is fantastic. There is some concern there will be an overengineering of what is a pristine natural environment. I say that because there is a real fear among city dwellers, more than anyone.

There has been a lot of debate. There is real concern. I think I am hearing from Waterways Ireland that it will extend this consultation. We need clarity on what that means in practice. It was always my expectation that there was 108 days, then there would be feedback and it would come back to us.

Can I get a copy of the KPMG international analysis? I would specifically like the terms of reference and the remit given to KPMG. It has to be sustainable, not only environmentally but also socially. That is the point I would make: any changes we are going to make have to be sustainable economically and socially. They have to be socially sustainable for the communities that are already there but also for the ones that are going to come. There is a long waiting list in Dublin. We want to see it fulfilled but we have to do it sustainably and with services that are appropriate. That is what I ask. I will not even ask for a response to let the other members come in. I have put some specific requests in for information and we will come back to this.

I said in our private meeting that it seemed like a very short time to give to a really important issue. We, as a committee, will try to return to this issue.