Seán Haughey (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
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73. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will report on the Water Supply Project, Eastern and Midlands Region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36892/24]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Water Supply Project – East and Midlands Region (WSP-EMR) is a strategic national project, included in the National Development Plan, to help meet the long-term water supply requirements for the Eastern and Midlands region. The preferred scheme for the project involves the abstraction of water from the lower River Shannon at Parteen Basin in County Tipperary. The abstracted water will be treated at a new water treatment plant and pumped via a new water pipeline to Dublin and other potential supply locations across the Eastern and Midlands region.

The WSP-EMR is subject to the Infrastructure Guidelines, which sets out the value for money requirements for the evaluation, planning and management of public investment projects. The Preliminary Business Case (PBC) aims to develop the strategic case for the project, consider in detail the range of options available and decide whether there is a case for proceeding with the proposal. The PBC also incorporates detailed options appraisal and assessments of risk along with the proposed approach to implementation of the proposal.

The PBC approval includes an External Assurance Process to provide independent project scrutiny. Its main purpose is to achieve better value for money by supporting Departments and Government with independent expert insight relating to project risks, delivery feasibility, and the robustness of costings, governance and procurement. In addition to its role as economic regulator of Uisce Éireann, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) in conjunction with its own external experts has carried out an independent external assurance review of the Water Supply Project – Eastern and Midlands Region PBC. As a prerequisite to seeking Government consent for projects at the PBC stage, project proposals and external assurance reviews are scrutinised by the Major Projects Advisory Group (MPAG) in advance of a decision to proceed. The WSP-EMR PBC, independent external review and supporting documentation were considered by MPAG in January 2024 and its report to the Department.

The Preliminary Business Case received government approval on 25 June 2024 and will now move to the next stage of the Infrastructure Guidelines, which is the planning and procurement strategy (Approval Gate 2). The project will then require further Government approval for the Final Business Case (Approval Gate 3) under the Infrastructure Guidelines process.