I also wish to be associated with the expressions of sympathy to Senator Craughwell and to say to him that we are thinking of him at the moment and have been thinking about him over recent times.

I stood here a number of months ago and expressed my disappointment at the fact that Lahinch Beach in County Clare lost its Blue Flag. The primary reason for this was the lack of a proper wastewater treatment facility in Lahinch-Ennistimon. The system was and is not fit for purpose.

There has been movement on the issue over the past couple of months but, sadly, that is where the good news stops. What is being proposed in the first instance is what we call the Cregg-Calluragh wastewater treatment facility. It is a secondary treatment plant whereas what is required at a minimum is a tertiary facility. The people who have decided this, in their wisdom, through their research, etc., maintain that at any point over the next 25 years, the Lahinch and Ennistimon area will not have more than 10,000 people who will use the facility, which I do not think is credible.

The other issue is its location. The neighbours and people whose land it is proposed to put this facility on are not happy. It is not good enough to dismiss it in any cavalier way and say that because it is in my land or my neighbourhood, I do not want it. That is not the case. These people live in the community, are part of it and work in it. They want to see a proper treatment plant the same as anybody else. However, there are concerns, including environmental, habitat and ecological concerns, and so on. The fairest and most ethical and moral stance to progress this project for Irish Water is to have a non-statutory public consultation, which will at least give people the opportunity to make submissions. My request to the Leader is that he would write to the Minister and request him to instruct Irish Water to launch a non-statutory public consultation so that the concerns of the public in the immediate area, and surrounding Lahinch and Ennistimon area, can be heard properly in an ethical framework and in a timely manner that is transparent in all its deliberations.