Mr. Jerry Grant:

They are cast iron, built in 1865. They are in absolutely perfect structural condition. Of course there are some leaks in the pipes but to spend €65 million to replace them would be crazy. There would be no rationale for that. What one does have to do, however, is develop very skilled resources to try to locate the individual leaks over the long length of the pipe. We are seeking to develop a special crew for trunk mains to try to deal with that. The focus on pipe replacement has to be where there is chronic failure. The 30-inch main in Swords is a very good example. There has been chronic failure over many years. The only way to deal with that is to replace the pipe because of the impact. It is not a leakage-control measure; it is, in fact, a fundamental service measure. Leakage, on the other hand, is fundamentally about trying to find buried leaks in pipes based on sound effects detectable at valves, etc. It is a slow, meticulous job. A range of capabilities are required. Data are required in the first place. The district meters have to be working. It is very useful to have the domestic meters because they tell a lot about the legitimate demands. One works back from that to determine where the priority leakages are, and then one does step testing at night to try to narrow down the areas. Regardless of where one is in the country, that is the process. We have the same issues across the country. We have a leakage rate of 45% or 46%, on average, nationally. In Dublin, the rate is 36% on the network. That is the challenge we are facing.

With regard to the greater Dublin drainage scheme, let me outline the plan for wastewater in Dublin. Wastewater is just as big an issue for us. The biggest issue at present is getting the plant at Ringsend expanded. The programme that is under way there will bring the figure from a population equivalent of 1.65 million up to 2.4 million. That will bring the capacity to treat the water not only up to the level we need for a significant period, but it will also meet a much higher standard. The nitrogen-----