Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I appeal to the Minister to put appropriate funding in place to ensure councils can carry out the necessary work. There are two aspects to it. The clean-up repair work is under way, by and large. Councils are getting that done and their attitude is that they will pay for it later when, it is hoped, the Minister can provide funding. There is a much more serious issue, however, which is how we can plan to cope in future with changing weather patterns that are emerging. It is expected there will be more severe weather events along our coasts, including severe storms and higher tides.

We must examine appropriate flood defence mechanisms. Coastal erosion is a major issue that has been largely ignored by successive Governments. This event has highlighted the necessity to deal with it once and for all. On a number of occasions, Clare County Council has applied to the Department to put in place certain preventative measures to shore up basic infrastructure. Existing flood defences must be repaired, whether they concern the roads at Liscannor or Kilbaha. I am not blaming the Minister but such work was not done by this Government or previous Administrations. As a result of the recent storm, much more work has to be done because the entire defence mechanism has been compromised and needs to be fully repaired. I appeal to the Minister to examine an investment plan for the coming years that will roll out a defensive infrastructure. We have done well to improve our road network over the past ten years. That was done in a planned, co-ordinated and strategic manner.

The Minister should set aside an appropriate level of annual State funding for flood defences in coastal regions to protect against future unexpected weather events. If the Minister can do that, it will be money well spent. While such expenditure may not be as politically useful as spending on schools, roads or other public infrastructure, such preventative measures are badly needed. The recent weather events have highlighted that fact well.

I recognise the good work of the Minister's departmental officials, including those involved in the national emergency response. All that is left is to ensure an appropriate level of funding is put in place. The Minister's speech was voluminous in setting out the background to what has happened and why. However, it was relatively light on the details of how the Minister intends to deal with the matter. I accept the Minister is working through the local authorities to assess the level of damage while trying to identify the full scale of what has occurred. Notwithstanding that, however, I appeal to him to invest this money, which is badly needed. Such funding must be put in place to protect those who have been worst affected. I am thinking particularly of families who have lost their homes. Such a loss has had a major effect on them, and it is not just in County Clare but in other counties as well. The Minister should give such people confidence to carry out repair work. Unfortunately, the State will not be able to provide funds for such work, but it is to be hoped their insurance companies will. In that way, people will be able to reoccupy their homes.

I ascertained an interesting point from Commissioner Hahn that funding can be sought for damage caused by uninsurable risks. I refer to some of the tourism attractions in Clare, particularly Doonbeg golf course which is a private, for-profit entity. None the less, it has suffered and sustained serious damage. The Minister should examine that matter, as well as Shannon Airport's flood defences, to see if such losses can be included in any application he might make for EU funding. It could be done on the basis that the risk involved was not insurable. That might help to replace those two vital pieces of infrastructure. The airport obviously requires State support, while Doonbeg golf course forms an important part of the tourism sector in County Clare and the mid-west in general.

At the earliest possible opportunity, the Minister should provide Clare County Council with close on €24 million to allow it to get on with the work. Notwithstanding its reduced staff numbers, at the height of the storm the council showed its capacity to be effective in dealing with a crisis, including the initial clean-up and assessing the extent of the damage.

In addition to providing €24 million, the Minister should put in place a plan to build the necessary infrastructure along the western seaboard to deal with coastal erosion once and for all. Notwithstanding the debates we had earlier and the efforts of certain individuals to scapegoat the Minister-----

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