Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I too want to lend my support and I compliment my colleagues Senators Dolan and Murphy for bringing this to the fore, which they do on a regular basis. As secretary of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party, I know that Senator Dolan brings the matter up weekly at our meetings and highlights it with the Taoiseach as an issue we need to get solved. Our role in politics is about helping people and making changes for the betterment of people's lives. Sometimes common sense goes out the window when we cannot do something that ultimately is for the betterment of people's lives, their livelihood and their family homes. I see the TV coverage of the rising water and people pumping water to try to save their family homes and livelihood. We have a solution but we cannot implement it because of High Court rulings. This is where common sense sometimes goes out the window. We all want to support initiatives to look after biodiversity and so on but we need to put a priority on people's homes and their livelihoods. Whatever legal mechanism needs to be in place should be implemented.

Senator Kyne referred to the Attorney General's advice being sought. I welcome this. I sincerely hope that a form of words can be put in place that will actually allow the work to take place. I am aware that Roscommon County Council wants to proceed, and had commenced, with works that would alleviate this issue. I just want to lend my support to my neighbours. Hopefully common sense will prevail and we will not see the families who are living in this area spending another winter of sleepless nights watching water levels and wondering whether their homes will flood, when we can actually do something about it. It is complete madness but I know there are constraints put in place by the courts. We must find whatever mechanism we can, through whatever avenue we can, to rectify it.