Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Mr. Gleeson and Ms Attridge for the update. It is very important that this is progressed.

There are a couple of other issues I wish to raise. In Castletownbere, there is an issue with drinking water supply. It is right on the west of my constituency, on the Beara Peninsula. The council is not granting planning permission at the moment, not even for one-off houses, because of an issue with water supply there. There is an environmental issue as this is one of the last strongholds in the area for the freshwater pearl mussel, so a certain flow of water is needed. The concern is that if water is taken from the river, the freshwater pearl mussel will be impacted. People need a supply of drinking water, however, and people need to be able to live and build houses in rural and peripheral areas like Castletownbere and the Beara Peninsula. Is there a solution to that problem in the short term?