Gabrielle McFadden (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We are all aware that we need water to live, thrive and survive. I commend progress now being made in developing water infrastructure following decades of neglect by previous Governments.

Irish Water has a planning application before Westmeath County Council for a raw water intake works and a water treatment plant at Portaneena outside Athlone. While I understand why we need a new water source and I am not necessarily against the proposal to take the water from Lough Rea, I am concerned that the planned extraction point in Portaneena is the wrong one and will have a serious long-term effect on the environment and the local amenity. Irish Water should change its plan and instead take the water from the main lake.

As a child I spent a lot of time on and around the river in this area and know it well. The unique nature of this area makes it unsuitable for an abstraction point. It is not ideal to put a large industrial-style facility in an idyllic location which is availed of by tourists and locals alike. Will the Leader invite the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and the Environment to the House to have a debate on the procedures used by Irish Water in circumstances such as this? Will he use his good offices to ask the Minister to direct Irish Water to consult meaningfully local stakeholders before proceeding any further with the work at Portaneena? Irish Water has already lodged one planning application which was turned down as inappropriate without any meaningful consultation. It must now take stock before trying to railroad through another plan, which is likely to be contested and flawed costing us all in terms of money, time and biodiversity.