Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

This section is about the cumulative effects of smaller abstractions and the threshold that the Senators mentioned. This would be captured as part of the regular water framework directive monitoring, with sophisticated flow modelling and field investigations by local authorities' water programmes. The registration threshold is sufficient to capture over 99% of the volume of water abstracted in Ireland, thereby minimising value risks from over-abstraction. As I understand it, Deputy Matthews is going to raise this matter separately at the Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage. That is a good place to discuss the matter further.