European election candidate, Lorraine Higgins, has called on Irish Water to properly address environmental concerns raised in relation to the Shannon Water project.

Higgins is also asking Irish Water to demonstrate that alternatives have been fully explored before commencing this €500 million investment in unproven water infrastructure.

She said: "Irish Water have indicated that the Shannon Water project will be completed by 2020. This involves the extraction of water at a rate of 500 million litres per day from Lough Derg to a new reservoir in the Midlands, to pipe it onto homes across the Greater Dublin Region. Environmental concerns in relation to this project, including fears that it could dry up the Inny and Cross rivers, plus all the feeder streams for Lough Ree, have not been properly addressed.

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"No one has yet explained how we are not first looking at building a new reservoir in Dublin, which is actually capable of treating our water, instead of investing millions in draining the Shannon River to pump water all the way to Dublin at potential environmental cost. There are also high levels of leakage in the public water system, averaging 41% across the country. Should we not address the issue of lost water through the pipes before we go ahead with this investment?

"We are looking at another infrastructure project that has to potential to divide communities across rural Ireland. Have we not learned from the recent lessons of the past with the pylon and wind turbine controversies? These are not issues pursued by a small minority but whole communities whose concerns need to be listened to and addressed before proceeding with this project."

(CD/MH)