19 August 2005 Greens call for Watershed Protection for Wicklow Reservoirs The Green Party has called for greater protection for

Press Releases: 19 August 2005 Environment
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	19 August 2005 Greens call for Watershed Protection for Wicklow Reservoirs
The Green Party has called for greater protection for the Wicklow reservoirs that provide water to Dublin City and the surrounding counties. The call comes in the wake of Wicklow County Council's controversial decision to grant permission to Cement Roadstone Holdings (CRH) for a quarry at Deerpark in Blessington. That decision is currently under appeal to An Bord Pleanála. Green Party Environment spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe TD said that, "Currently the protection for the lands upstream of the Poulaphouca reservoir at Blessington is inadequate. Most of Dublin's water supply comes from these reservoirs according to Dublin City Council. The Environmental Protection Agency has stated that the unauthorised dumps found on CRH's lands have already contaminated groundwater." "We want to see exclusion zones placed around the reservoirs at Blessington and Roundwood that would prevent major developments such as dumps, quarries or large housing estates from being granted planning permission in such sensitive locations." Local Green Party Councillor Deirdre de Burca (Wicklow County Council) said that, "Greater protection is required not just for Wicklow residents, but also for the water supply that supplies 1.5 million people in the Greater Dublin Region. If such protection is not provided now, future generations will have to pick up the bill if development pollutes the groundwater. In the interests of common sense we must provide greater planning protection for our water supplies." "This protection can be provided by amending the Wicklow County Development Plan. I intend tabling a motion on this issue at the September meeting of Wicklow County Council."