Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Senator Chambers has asked me to share one minute of my time and I have agreed to that.

It is always an honour to speak in this House but I do not know whether it is an honour today. As a person living in County Roscommon, I am deeply disturbed and hurt by this. I dedicate my few words today to all those families – the Martin, Beattie, Murray, Kearney, Staunton and Fallon families and others – who have been so badly disrupted by this. I have campaigned for many years on this issue. This is not just another flooding issue. This is a humanitarian crisis at this stage. I again send an open invitation to any of my colleagues, irrespective of what part of the country they come from, to visit this situation. I note Senator Boyhan was there at the weekend.

The objection to this work – let us call a spade a spade – was lodged by Mr. Tony Lowes of Friends of the Irish Environment of west Cork. He is not a Roscommon native, and has nothing to do with it. This objection has defeated any purpose of saving the environment. I come from a horticultural background. I told the committee eight or nine months ago that the flora and fauna are dead, the bird life is gone, the wildlife is gone and the tree and bush life are all dead. Stagnant water causes disease and destroys the environment. For the life of me, I cannot understand how people who call themselves environmentalists cannot see this situation. We now have the threat to Curraghboy village as well.

I compliment the Minister of State, Deputy Kieran O’Donnell, because he has been excellent and understanding, and he has engaged well. However, as Senators Dolan and Boyhan said, we need emergency action. I note that the Tánaiste, the Minister of State and the Taoiseach are working with the Attorney General on that, which is something I have been involved in myself. We need to get this situation sorted.

Because I want to give way to Senator Chambers, I urge that we consider writing to the eminent judge Garrett Simons. I have read many of his judgments and he is a very good man. I believe he would have compassion. The reason I say we should write to him is previously he was the legal adviser to the Friends of the Irish Environment. I think he has a key role in this and we should write to him. I do not know whether that is in order but I feel that part of the Oireachtas can write to a judge and seek this, and seek his compassion in some way so that on a temporary basis we could lift this order to allow some water to be removed from the lake.