Paudie Coffey (Waterford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for raising this important issue and raising it with the committee. While much focus has been on the Shannon and there is no doubt that area has experienced serious flooding, in recent years serious flooding issues have arisen in rivers all over the country. In Waterford, the area I represent, the River Suir and River Clodagh are tidal. When an extreme weather event occurs there is a huge swell in the rivers with the additional water and the river banks are under severe pressure. I agree with Deputy Stanley who outlined his concerns in regard to the National Parks and Wildlife Service. As a committee we need to ascertain if we can seek exemptions for emergency works for reinforcement of river banks or removal of silt in rivers where there is extreme pressure. Recently I have seen farmlands flooded where the water got out on to regional roads and caused a serious traffic hazard. In the area I speak about, flood defence and mitigation measures have been put in place. A huge investment has been made by the Government in Clonmel, Carrick-on-Suir and Waterford city to defend against flooding. What appears to happen - I hope we may hear more from the Office of Public Works - is that pressure is funnelled down the river and on to the banks. It floods rural areas and puts townlands that previously may not have been flooded under serious pressure. There is a knock-on effect. There is a need for serious engagement with the Office of Public Works and the National Parks and Wildlife Service on silt removal and the reinforcement of river banks to make it easier for landowners and farmers to do the work in an emergency and readily fashion. I am interested to hear about the bottom-up approach. The witnesses, and the committee to a lesser degree, have an important role to play in voicing their concerns. The setting up by the Government of the rural commission, under the chairmanship of Pat Spillane, should give us an opportunity to feed back to Government the significance of what the witnesses have said. I understand the witnesses have a meeting arranged or it is engaging with that commission. Perhaps they would elaborate on what their approach might be in order that we can broaden the support they will require to express that view. It is important to express that view.

Insurance is becoming a huge issue. It is like the special areas of conversation where the lines are just drawn on a map. Other representatives and I would have seen where local authorities include whole fields when only a ten metre run along a river or stream should be in the special area of conservation. That is another issue. Perhaps the witnesses would express their views on how the special areas of conservation are designated officially and how rural Ireland and farming people should respond to try to make it fairer and practical.