Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have been speaking to these gentlemen already but I extend a céad míle fáilte to them again. I am delighted to have been able to accommodate them here. I thank the Chairman, in particular, for ensuring we got here today.

I do not think there is any particular point in going into everything. All of us around that region who are politicians know what the witnesses have gone through for years. What they have gone through certainly is not good enough. Yes, the fodder scheme was good, but I have been visiting part of that area on an ongoing basis and what farmers have had to go through this year has been particularly difficult. There is no doubt about that. Most farmers could not cut meadows until the end of the July, and when somebody brought machinery in at that stage, I saw it myself. The water was up on the wheels of the tractor. They just could not cut it.

From my perspective, one of the first things I did when I was elected in 2016 was to get our party to try to do something about the management of the River Shannon. This has dragged on way too long. We all know that. Action needs to be taken in terms of who controls the River Shannon and how it is run. We cannot have this situation, and people have heard this over and over, of the ESB controlling the whole lot and opening and closing gates mainly as it wishes. It will refer to private schemes and pilot schemes. Pilot schemes are no good. We need new and definite legislation. We need a new body to run the management of the Shannon and we need farmers to be represented on that.

Sometimes, with the incessant rain, I accept that farmers are going to have flooding. Nobody is saying they will not have flooding. However, a lot of hardship has been brought on farmers that could have been avoided. I do not have any questions for the witnesses because I know this. I have dealt with them for years. When the Government fell in 2020, I brought the Bill back into the Seanad. Last summer, the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Deputy O'Donovan, told me he would not be taking this Bill on and that the Government was coming with legislation. I want to see that Bill. I am hoping it will come forward very quickly. I hope that will deal with the issue of the Electricity (Supply) (Amendment) Act 1934. That is the first thing we have to do. That Act has to be amended to unhook the ESB from total control of the River Shannon. When we have that done, straight away we will work on legislation to put one body in place with all the groups represented in order that we can manage the River Shannon.

Quite a lot done was done with Bord na Móna regarding the removal of silt. While some work was done, what was supposed to be done in a pilot scheme was never done. So much silt and debris has built up in the River Shannon. We have to get one thing clear as well. We cannot manage waterways and land unless we have a full drainage programme. Water will always find its level or elsewhere to go. Trying to hold it up or slow it up at times is not the way to go. We need a good system of drainage and a good system of taking the silt and stuff out of the river, which everybody knows has built up for years. That is part of the problem. I will continue to do what I can. I know it is very frustrating for those involved that this has been going on year after year. I hope the Government will bring that legislation forward promptly and we can get the issue dealt with as quickly as possible. I know all the Oireachtas people here want to get this solved and out of the way. All I can do is say that I will continue to do my level best to get some ease brought to this situation. It is totally unacceptable.