Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry I cannot give the Deputy the guarantees he requires because, with due respect to him, his summary does not make sense. My note suggests the Deputy is talking about robbing Peter to pay Paul. In my reply, I want to talk about the economy and the future of the country, including the area represented by the Deputy and the greater Dublin area. I want to broaden the issue. The Deputy referred to pixie heads and washing cats and dogs but I am talking about saving jobs and the greater Dublin area. It is a question of having water available to the greater Dublin area on a daily basis. The difference pertaining to usage is very small, at approximately 1% or 2%. If the supply is affected, as it was recently, it results in catastrophic failure right around the city. The Deputy is absolutely correct that Dublin City Council did have to cut off the water supply. It did not do so in the transparent way it ought to have done it. The Minister, Deputy Hogan, commented on that. People suddenly found that they did not have water for quite a number of nights.

We must ensure that every part of the country, be it Clare, Galway, Dublin or elsewhere, has an adequate and proper water supply. Most important, we must ensure jobs are maintained and that people can wash themselves and work in an industry that requires considerable water. The water supply in the greater Dublin area feeds the ICT sector and other water-intensive industries. It also feeds agribusiness. Dublin absolutely needs a water supply.

The Deputy is absolutely correct about the level of unaccounted-for water. I have a slightly different figure than the Deputy has. The one I have been given for Dublin – I appreciate the one the Deputy gave and I will check it immediately after this debate – is approximately 28%. I am told this is among the best figures around Europe. The fact is that if unaccounted-for water is below a certain percentage, it is not economical to carry out repairs or make adjustments. Significantly and properly, Dublin and Fingal, in particular, have been extremely proactive in dealing with the issue.

We must step forward together as an economy and country. We must deal with these issues transparently and openly, and they must be dealt with by meeting, talking and, above all, listening to one another. I have met and will be happy to meet again people from the area the Deputy represents. I will be happy to give them any hours or days they want. I will be happy to go to Clare, north Tipperary or Limerick to ensure that any proposals by the Government - it is the Government of which the Deputy and I are members that is making these decisions - are transparent and accountable. We should be running away from no issues. We want to ensure that the people understand fully what we are actually talking about. We are talking about improving the water supply for all the regions between Lough Derg and Dublin. All the towns and places of employment in the areas in question will be much better placed if this project operates according to due process. They will be able to employ more people and there will be much better amenities. The Deputy should not mind his cats and dogs but think about the people and the jobs; that is what this is all about.

It is also about the environment and ensuring that the people around the lake and along the river, which is the longest in Ireland at approximately 360 km, can be confident that the water will not disappear overnight. Any water that is taken from the Shannon will have to be taken in a proper and sustainable way, as pointed out by the Deputy. The water level must not be reduced below a certain point. I am absolutely aware of the economic benefit to the community deriving from the Shannon. That will not and must not be affected.

The planning and environmental impact processes will not and must not be allowed to affect the economic and community benefits. Rather than talk about legislating in Europe, I, as a legislator in this Parliament, would prefer to go with the Deputy to the people who expressed their concerns to talk to them and listen. We must ensure that the bodies that will be in charge of the project, including Dublin City Council, will meet the people in question to explain their position. Let us try to move forward together so we will not be robbing Peter to pay Paul. We are ensuring that Peter and Paul have a job and a water supply and that there will be no adverse economic or environmental impacts.

More than 1,000 jobs will be created through the project. It will cost over €500 million if and when it goes through all the processes. There will be very significant benefits for everybody. On foot of the extraction, which can happen only by way of due process, people must be happy that they will benefit as individuals and as members of their community.

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