Mattie McGrath slams Midland region water-to-Dublin pipeline
Mattie McGrath criticised the Midland region water supply project that would take 320 million gallons a day to Dublin and warned it would harm local water and electricity generation. He urged ministers and the CEO to stop or derail the pipeline, insisting Dublin's leaky pipes should be fixed and Tipperary left alone.
Project overview
McGrath described the scale of the scheme, saying it would take 320 million gallons a day from the Midland region to Dublin. He referenced the Children's Hospital as an ongoing issue and mentioned "a runaway train with gas costs" in the broader context of public spending.
Local water and power impact
He warned that last year the Oireachtas had not enough water to produce electricity for August and September and asked whether diverting so much water could leave the area without generation water for days or months. McGrath framed the proposal as having a "huge impact" on local water and power supplies.
Infrastructure and pipeline criticism
McGrath called the project "mad, daft, silly," argued it would damage local sites including Cusher (later referred to as the "Crusher"), and said the pipeline would only put water into "leaky pipes in Dublin" rather than fixing existing networks.
Ministers and water authority questioned
He addressed Minister Ryan, Minister Foley, Minister Coveney and the CEO of Irish Water in his remarks, asking whether the CEO of Oireachtas Water had been consulted and noting uncertainty about which body was responsible for the supply decision. He said he would check the issue further.
Local plea and demand to halt the scheme
McGrath demanded the project be stopped or derailed, insisted that Dublin's pipes be repaired instead of exporting local water, and called for Tipperary to be left alone, describing the scheme as "madness."
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Minister Ryan, Minister Foley, Minister Coveney, I think the CEO of Irish Water, standing on Cusher, lovely picturesque, what did you ask, if I get the right answer, it could be used as a dat board too, you know, cancola, but anyway, Teachta, this is the Midland region water supply, and the project will take 320 million gallons a day of water to Dublin, before fixing the pipes here, now we have the Children's Hospital, which is already a disastrous hole in the ground, and a runaway train with gas costs, this, last year, Oireachtas had not enough water to produce electricity for the months of August and September, did any of you think, to ask the CEO of Oireachtas Water, would this impact, if you take that much water out of the, out of lockdown, we'll be out of electricity, we'll be out of generation, water, ESP generation water for days, and maybe months, this is a huge impact, going to have a huge impact on this, not to mention the impact of the pipeline to Dublin, it's a mad, daft, silly project, would you stop it first, derail it before, you'll destroy out the Crusher as well, and you won't, you'll put the water into leaky pipes in Dublin, fix the pipes, leave us alone in Tipperary, and stop this madness. Thanks, David, I'm not quite sure if that was the question, I think it was a COVSB, not Irish water, but I can't see the photograph from here, so I may be wrong, but I'll certainly check up on that issue for sure. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
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