If we want to attract investment, we have to fix our water system

Businesses that use significant amounts of water, particularly in the food and beverage and technology sectors, have put supply issues centre stage in their talks with agencies such as the IDA

An upgrade of the 150-year-old Vartry water supply scheme is designed to provide secure safe drinking water for 200,000 people in Wicklow and south Dublin for the long term

This is not a good time for major infrastructure projects in Ireland. The well-documented problems with the newnational children’s hospital and theNational Broadband Scheme are expected to hit spending in other areas, but perhaps more worryingly they threaten to undermine public confidence in major projects and the political will and courage to deliver them.

Water is the one area where we cannot let lack of confidence disrupt investment. With thefurore over domestic charges ...