Brendan Daly (Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Dooley for the opportunity to become involved in this short debate. In the discussion we had earlier on Sellafield there was a mention of iodine tablets. Unless we get some good news about the Quilty aspect of this scheme, I will need something stronger than iodine tablets before I travel to west Clare at the weekend.

This scheme has been driving the people of Quilty and Mullagh crazy. It has been planned and talked about for 20 years. It was understood for a long time that sufficient funding was not available to undertake such schemes. However, what has really frustrated people is that they know that sums of up to €30 million or €40 million were left unspent in the Department budget for schemes such as these.

I would be quite happy to meet the local community at any time if it was the case that the plans were ready for the scheme but we could not go ahead with it because there was no money. The people would accept, believe and understand that. However, they cannot accept a situation where the money is available yet they have been waiting 20 years or more for a scheme because of bureaucracy, delays and the fear another Department had for the prospects of the Greenland white-fronted goose.

The Greenland goose comes to Mutton Island which is adjacent to Quilty and the fear was that the outfall might in some way damage the goose. The fact is that the local community is damaged for the lack of this scheme. The Greenland goose will survive. It has survived for a million years, and I am sure it will last a bit longer. Will the Minister please use his influence with his engineers, officials and Clare County Council to get this scheme moving without further delay, before we need strong medication to put up with the existing local frustration?