Michael McNamara (Clare, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I would welcome an answer to that. The other issue is that while these works are being carried out by farmers who are willing to carry them out, they are the Department's responsibility. These culverts were under the Land Commission and most of them are State property. The embankments are State property. A succession of Governments since the foundation of this State has ignored these pieces of protection. Now farmers find themselves in the bizarre position where they will be penalised because of the failure of the State, its servants and agents to maintain these culverts and embankments since the foundation of the State. They were in much better shape relative to the needs of the time when the British flag was taken down in Dublin Castle in 1922.