Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Nobody could have anticipated the inflationary environment in which the OPW and the council found ourselves. While it was a huge disappointment that the contractor withdrew from the contract, was it a surprise given that construction inflation was probably running of the order of 20% or 30% or whatever percentage it was at the time? It has eased considerably and at least we are now in a stable environment.

This is not an issue about money. Some people are trying to portray that politically but it is not. If we did not follow the procurement rules that are laid out by the Office of Government Procurement, and if Cork City Council, as the tendering authority, did not follow those, I would have an entirely different set of questions to be answerable to the House on today.

We are committed to this scheme and the money is in place. It will take approximately 24 months to build it. It is one of the priorities for the OPW because we recognise the risk. It also a key priority for Cork City Council. I thank the Deputy for his interest in it because I am aware of the suffering of the people in that area. Some of them are from my own part of the world. They have been constantly engaged with me and they recognise the efforts that have been made by local representatives. Again, however, I reiterate my appeal to politicians not to play politics with something so sensitive as people's fears around water coming through their front doors. It is grossly unfair.

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