Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

On 23 January we debated storm damage and flooding, which preceded the events of this weekend. The Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Costello, took that debate. I have great regard for the Minister of State on a personal level but he had no answers for us whatsoever. He said so on the day. The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, who took the debate on the Bill before that debate and the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Brian Hayes, are the Ministers responsible for this area.

If anyone checks the Official Report they will see that the Minister of State, Deputy Costello, said in response to me and other Senators that he did not expect to answer questions here on that issue. That is not acceptable. I asked specific questions which are still relevant, to know whether the Minster of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Brian Hayes, or the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, has met the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Mr. Johannes Hahn, and whether the Government intends to apply for additional funding under the EU solidarity fund that the previous Government used in 2009.

I do not know why Senator Gilroy is jumping up and down. Maybe when he is in Europe he can talk to-----