Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I wish to reassure the Deputy that the consolidation we are discussing here was predicted in the environmental impact statement submitted in support of the application to construct the pipeline. It is expected to reinstate itself over a short duration as the TBM process progresses. The Deputy inquired as to whether we are solely dependent on the word of the company. That is not the case. My Department's consultant tunnelling expert from Environ conducted his most recent site visit last week. A draft report on that visit, including his comments with regard to these depressions, will be published on the Department's website. If Deputy Colreavy experiences any difficulty in accessing the draft report online, I will ensure that he obtains a copy. It is important to place on record the fact that the depressions in question appear to have occurred as a result of air releases during the maintenance procedure. Those depressions have, relative to the overall context of the bay, been small and there is no evidence of contamination or any significant environmental harm. There is no foreseeable way that any of the air releases could affect the integrity of the completed tunnel.

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