Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is something we will be taking up with the interdepartmental group, at which the local authorities are represented.

Senator Horkan mentioned voluntary property relocation. I am acutely aware that we need to do something for people when there are no other engineering solutions to their problems. We need to work closely with them to get relocation schemes in place.

The Senator also asked about property numbers. I suppose we have to be careful here. We have to look at all the CFRAMS areas we have. That process will have to be completed before we know whether any properties within those areas cannot be protected in any way. We will then need to look at areas outside the CFRAMS areas, including special rural areas. Senator Horkan described the pictures we have seen of houses and farmyards marooned by water. People have had to ship out their cattle and in-lamb sheep to local marts to feed them. I hope to bring a recommendation from the interdepartmental group to the Cabinet in the next couple of weeks.