Micheál Carrigy (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The next speaking slot is my own, as the last member. I have a couple of points on a matter that has been raised by members, namely, the role of temporary treatment plants to address the lack of capacity in the public system in certain towns. The second and third biggest towns in County Longford, Ballymahon and Edgeworthstown, have no capacity, so no houses can be built. We have a company in Longford that builds package sewage treatment systems and exports them all over the world. When can we see these used in County Longford to deliver housing? Could I have a straight answer to that?

With regard to data centres, it was said it was a case of first-come, first-served. How many houses, on average, use the same amount of power as a standard-sized data centre? Could it come down to the equivalent of 2,000 houses per data centre where supply is limited? We have seen shutdowns, particularly in the midlands. Lough Ree Power Station was shut down and a certain amount of network capacity was lost. The ESB is considering solar and wind generation and applications have been submitted in our county because it is on the line that would allow for feeding in. However, there has not been enough consultation with the people on the ground who will be affected and who have contributed significantly to both the ESB and Bord na Móna. A wind farm is being put on Bord na Móna lands that fed the power station. There are now significant applications from companies, particularly for solar farms. There is a solar farm of over 300 acres of good agricultural land proposed for Kenagh, a rural farming community. This is now driving up the price of land for people in agriculture and industry. I realise it is about generation, but could the witnesses comment on that?

Also raised was the issue of bringing water from the Shannon to the capital, Dublin. If the project commenced in the morning, what would the timeline be by comparison with the three years of serious supply problems? If the project started straight away, would Dublin be supplied in 2029? The ESB delegates might respond first.