David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his personal commitment to this. If the tide was in and if it had happened at night, we would have been hauling coffins down the road a few days later. People would have drowned in Midleton because it was that serious, it happened that fast and the water was that deep. It made headlines all over the world because it was so devastating. The Minister of State told me that consultants were appointed to start on planning and design in 2017. He has now told me that a planning application might be lodged in mid-2026.

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