Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the representatives of the Irish Farmers' Association for their presentation. I know them all well and I am familiar with the situation. There is no point in my going back over what has already been raised. I have a couple of questions, and I might update the witnesses with some information I have received from OPW. I know the farmers have an issue with the catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, system and also that they have participated in the research being done by the company concerned. Are they concerned by the delay, or do they lack confidence that anything of value will come out of it?

We all acknowledge the need for maintenance works. The question of abatement measures was discussed at a meeting of another committee. What are the witnesses' thoughts on taking additional abatement measures somewhere along the Shannon? Infrastructural work could be done to hold back the water.

The witnesses will have seen a report produced by the joint committee last year regarding eight proposals urgently required to tackle flooding on the River Shannon, its tributaries and the waters feeding into it. One of the eight proposed measures was the attenuation of water from the Shannon to boglands in Roscommon and Longford. What are their thoughts on that?