Mr. Jim Casey:

Deputy Kenny is right. I do not believe it will be as simple as just removing the barrier. Before we go down the road of completely removing a barrier, we must look at the implications and consequences. They can be quite varied. Removal of barriers on rivers will have implications for the natural morphology of the river. It could also have potential implications for groundwater levels adjacent to the location of barrier removal. If there are properties adjacent to the location, we could have potential negative impacts for subsidence of ground levels and potential impacts on properties. It is not always as simple as just removing a barrier. In some cases the best solution might be to reduce the negative impact of the barrier by making modifications to it.