Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Yes. I welcome the Minister of State and wish him well in his new role. I have a few policy-related questions. He said in his speech that he would fulfil the existing level of service and there would be no policy change. I want to flesh this out. Does he mean the status quowill obtain from 2015 to 2016 and there will be no new Departments in terms of policy implementation, particularly for the management of heritage?

I note that the Minister of State referred to heritage services. He mentioned very specific sites and talked about co-operating with Fáilte Ireland on initiatives such as Ireland's Ancient East and the Wild Atlantic Way. A pot of approximately €65 million has been made available for capital projects by Fáilte Ireland. How will that money be disbursed? Will it be disbursed outside the keynote sites that are normally referred to in terms of tourist attractions? He referred specifically to Kilmainham Gaol, Glendalough, Clonmacnoise and Killarney National Park. There are other sites that I would advocate, such as Doneraile Wildlife Park in Cork, which has approximately 450,000 visitors per annum. Will there be a change in policy that would allow such sites to be marketed along with either the Wild Atlantic Way or Ireland's Ancient East? I want to get a sense from him of how he views heritage sites, tourism potential and job creation in rural areas. There are sites that are a little off the beaten track but they are no less important than the big keynote sites.

With regard to CFRAM, Deputy Michael McGrath mentioned the Cork project and insurance issues. The Munster Blackwater, and specifically the flood alleviation works that were carried out in Fermoy and Mallow, are keynote OPW projects that have delivered significant benefits. My next issue is demountable walls. Has an actuarial analysis been done to assess the cost of insurance in cases in which demountable walls have been put in place? There is clear evidence that the presence of demountable walls alleviates flooding. I do not mean to be too parochial but I am referring to the Munster Blackwater, where the OPW did a stellar job in two specific towns. There is proof that demountable walls work because they have stopped towns from being flooded. That should, from an actuarial point of view, have the knock-on effect of driving down insurance premiums. We need to be more vociferous and stronger when sending a message to the insurance companies about such issues. In my opinion, insurance companies are using the excuse that there is a lack of evidence to support demountable works or that there is some actuarial analysis or mitigating risk factor associated with demountable walls. Perhaps this is an issue that the Minister of State could take up. Can I have a specific start date for the Bandon and Skibbereen projects?

My next point also concerns CFRAM. It could be argued that the OPW maps trawl well beyond certain curtilages, especially in villages with arterial drains, minor rivers or streams. Even if one were to assess the 100-year flood risk in certain places, the analysis would drive up the cost of insurance for the people who live there. Has CFRAM looked at towns and villages that have tributaries? Has CFRAM adopted a belt-and-braces approach to alleviating flood risk in such places? The area for further assessment identifies the risk. How does CFRAM measure the risk? Does it use the usual formula of the 100-year flood? Is it less than that?

I thank the Minister of State for his statement. Notwithstanding his statement that there will be no policy change, are there specific issues related to the timeframe in which to deliver projects? What does he wish to achieve, on his watch as Minister of State responsible for the OPW, in terms of heritage, the management of natural resources and flood alleviation? I would like him to outline, in his own words, his vision for the Department. Have functions been clearly delineated and delegated to him in terms of the management of his budget?