Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the issues raised by the Deputy and I will ensure the Minister and the Department are made aware of them. The Government has responded quickly to recent weather events. A total of €25 million has been available to flooding victims and it will be administered by the Department of Social Protection to deal with the immediate, significant and serious causes of hardship and discomfort and relocation to temporary accommodation as well as to address any other humanitarian circumstances arising, including the provision of food and clothing. This was followed by the announcement of a fund of up to €70 million for a programme of repair and remediation to help communities in the worst affected areas to provide for the restoration of roads, coastal protection infrastructure, piers, harbours and other infrastructure and amenities. The provision of these moneys is a clear indication of the Government's commitment to respond to the needs of communities devastated by the storms, which the Deputy has articulated.

Certain types of development work are also governed by a number of EU directives, which are required to protect habitats and ecosystems. Some of our rivers and streams are particularly sensitive in this regard and they lie within sites that have been selected for designation as SACs or SPAs. It is necessary to apply other controls to in stream work in addition than those that apply to water courses generally. As the Deputy correctly pointed out, this involves a broad range of complex and interrelated issues with flooding and the removal of solid material requiring the interaction of a number of State bodies, all of which have a role to play in developing approaches to ensure they can be effectively dealt with. The Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brian Hayes, is active in this regard and I will also bring the Deputy's comments to his attention following the debate.

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