Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Fianna Fail)
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I agree with other speakers. Irish Water is getting great headlines again today with the proposed Shannon project. It is ironic that, for such a small country surrounded by water, we have a massive problem with water supply. I was in Tempe, Arizona, several years ago, which is surrounded by desert but has an excellent water supply. Looking at the Shannon as a source of water supply is the way forward. Taking water from the sea would cost too much with desalination and so forth. There are also issues with taking supply from groundwater such as lime content and other environmental concerns.

It is unfortunate that there is 57% leakage in Dublin. We need to look at this as it is our capital city. Mr. Grant said capital is not a restraint. When I worked with my local authority, funding was always an issue when trying to get a pipe on the network fixed, for example. Leaking old pipes, particularly in Carlow, are a significant issue. I know there is work going on to replace them, like the replacement of pipes in Borris recently. When these works are undertaken, the main streets and the shops are affected. I met recently with residents in Bagenalstown where there is work going on to replace water pipes. Several residents asked if those works could have provided an opportunity to lay down a gas connection for the town. Irish Water’s policy is to manage the water infrastructure and services and work with others. Is there joined-up thinking when such large works are taken on by Irish Water to work with other agencies? Has it a plan so that when it is pulling up a street or a road to work with other agencies such as Bord Gáis to lay other pipe networks or connections? There is nothing more annoying for people when a main street pulled up a year ago for water works is pulled up again for another agency. There is also a cost factor involved.

Budgets for projects often double and treble over time. By 2050, Irish Water hopes to have a significant reduction in leakage. Will there be enough long-term funding to ensure it meets this target?