Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Legislation to clear the way for the extraction of 350 million litres of water per day from the River Shannon to feed Dublin's needs is seriously defective and was raised by the Oireachtas independent legal advisers. Dublin is looking for 350 million litres of water for its needs. I want a metre put on the water leaving the Shannon and in every county through which it passes. I want Dublin to pay for every drop of water it gets from the Shannon. That should be reinvested in County Limerick and in all the other counties that have inadequate water supplies. That is how to pay for infrastructure in our area.

The Taoiseach spoke about a report on the infrastructure. The Government wants people to live in the towns and villages. Hospital in County Limerick has been told that the existing system will be upgraded, but it will not allow for any capacity. Dromcollogher has been told that the biggest polluter in the River Deel is the local authority. Again, Irish Water said it will upgrade the existing system, but it will not expand it. That means I cannot get anyone to live in our towns and villages, even though the Government is saying on every television programme that it wants people to move into towns and villages. However, there is no capacity and no infrastructure. Dublin wants water.

You can pay for every penny of it and put the money into infrastructure in County Limerick and all of the other counties that will be passed through to service Dublin.

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