Sir, – Kevin Devitte’s suggestion for multipurpose desalination plants (April 20th) is pragmatic and visionary; such infrastructure would contribute to infrastructural future-proofing and would provide much-needed employment. It is not for the first time that desalination has been recommended in the Letters columns; yet there is no inkling of interest from Government or from infrastructure decision-makers.
The challenge with Mr Devitte’s recommendation that it is so obviously such a good idea that it won’t be seriously considered by the Government and those responsible for national infrastructure.
This sort of apathy and inertia means that we don’t already have progressive hydrology, marine technology and ship-building industries in Ireland, which could provide thousands of jobs and many genuinely Irish technical products that Ireland could use domestically and market worldwide.
The attitude seems to be, with such ample rainfall and being an island in such a unique location on the edge of Europe, why bother developing indigenous industries and expertise to monetise all that. – Yours, etc,