Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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On the new approach, be it associated with the upgrade of an existing wastewater treatment plant or the provision of a new one, the CER will be taking a more short-term view than the local authorities did. The local authorities would have planned to have design capacity for a period of 15 to 20 years. I understand from my local authority in Mayo that the delegates are considering a period of five to six years. Is this the case throughout the country or does it pertain more to rural areas where there is an effort to gauge population growth? If capacity is reached after five or six years, in respect of wastewater treatment or otherwise, there will be a need to plan again and reconsider whether to increase capacity. More projects will be entering the system again if the approach is uniform throughout the country. Is that correct?