I refer to the proposed new 170 km pipeline to bring water from the River Shannon into Dublin. It is proposed to pump 330 million l per day from the River Shannon into the pipe infrastructure in Dublin, which is leaking half its water. There is significant unease in the northern part of my constituency of Tipperary about this. The landowners along the route have already suffered as a result of a motorway going through their lands.

We are seriously questioning Irish Water's use of its capital. Many of our towns need investment in wastewater treatment plants. Some towns and villages have not even got a wastewater treatment plant. Ironically, Ballina, on the River Shannon in Tipperary, needs serious investment in its waste water treatment plant, the lack of which is seriously damaging its potential to expand its tourism and business infrastructure. I ask that Irish Water examines its use of capital. Does it make sense to pump this amount of water from the Shannon throughout the country when the pipe infrastructure in Dublin is leaking half its water? This should be examined.

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. This has been a long-standing and long-running project of many years. Since it was originally mooted and given the go-ahead, it has faced many challenges and hurdles. On the broader point, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, has allocated very significant extra funding to Irish Water to provide wastewater treatment plants throughout the country. We are very keen to improve the water infrastructure all over the country and, in particular, to get schemes going in Ballina and other areas the Deputy identified. We will follow through on particular projects, some of which the Deputy has identified, with the Minister. On the bigger project, my understanding is that Irish Water is engaging with the landowners, or will be, so we will see how that unfolds.