Vol. 404 No. 4
305 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for the Environment whether his attention has been drawn to water shortages in the Dublin area which appears to be a common and ongoing situation; whether he has considered a proposal which would entail piping water from the River Shannon along, for example, the Grand Canal which would involve little, if any, land purchase; and if he will make a statement on the feasibility of this scheme.
I refer to my reply to Questions Nos. 56 and 113 of 28 November 1990. The present and future water supply needs of the Dublin area are constantly being reviewed by the sanitary authorities concerned. There are no proposals at present for piping water from the River Shannon. Dublin Corporation are increasing water production from existing sources. More recently I have requested Dublin County Council to examine the possibility of augmenting surface water supplies with ground water.
