Michael McDowell has demanded “radical revision” of the country’s planning system after a judicial review was granted for plans to build a new sewage system in north Dublin. 

The plan was signed off by An Coimisiún Pleanála in July, following seven years of design and debate. 

If built, the Greater Dublin Drainage Project will cost €1.3 billion and serve the homes of around half a million people. 

However, concerns have been raised about the  environmental and health risks of the project. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, the former Tánaiste described it is vital that the project gets the go ahead. 

“Everybody knows that this major drainage and sewage scheme for the Northside of Dublin’s city, county and parts of Kildare and Meath is necessary,” he explained. 

“When you look at it, the application for planning permission for it was done in 2018 - that’s seven years ago. 

“Now it’s going into the Four Courts because a group of people have some environmental objection to it. 

“The scheme itself must have been planned for perhaps three or four years before it actually got to the planning application - perhaps longer than that.” 

A spill of untreated sewage in Dublin Bay in 2020. Picture by: Alamy.com. 

Senator McDowell added that even when approved, it would take “at least seven years” for the construction of the project.  

“So, what I’m saying is, here is a vitally required piece of infrastructure to enable housing development, home building and all the rest of it in the Dublin area,” he said. 

“Matched by a requirement to bring water to Dublin because we’re running out of water in Greater Dublin.

“It cannot be the case that any civilised society from making the decision in principle more than 12 years ago… that we now end up in a situation where it doesn’t get done for 25 years.” 

A woman filling a glass of water from the kitchen sink tap. Picture by: incamerastock / Alamy.com. 

Earlier this year, the Oireachtas passed the Planning and Development (Amendment) Act 2025 which aims to streamline the planning system. 

However, Senator McDowell believes it is an inadequate attempt at reform.  

“I want a radical revision of the law, I want some lessons learnt from the motorways programme,” he argued. 

“It was going nowhere until Public Private Partnerships came through and it was driven by a Cabinet Subcommittee on which I served as Attorney General. 

“Unless we have a system that respects the law and the will of Parliament to get on with infrastructure and which doesn’t give to An Bord Pleanála this huge conglomerate which decides whether your house extension is one foot too high or whether MetroLink should be built.

“We need a different approach to planning, where the Government and the people have determined that when a project is required to proceed, that it proceeds.”

Main image: Senator Michael McDowell. Picture by: Alamy.com.