Mr. Joe Healy:

They got flooded last year. A month ago the water level was 8 ft. higher than it was at the same time last year, when it still got flooded. There is disappointment and frustration. I was at a meeting and a lady spoke with tears in her eyes. I will never forget the way she answered me when I asked her if she was fearful of the unknown. She said: "No Joe - it is the fear of the known". They know they are going to get flooded this year. There was disappointment and frustration. I fully acknowledge the work, the ambition and the desire of the Minister of State, Deputy Seán Canney and Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran to do something about it, but unfortunately there are so many different sections and so many interested groups - about 17 entirely - that it might be hyperbole to think that we will ever get to a situation where there would be one agency with responsibility for it. We need to reduce the numbers of agencies involved and we definitely need to reduce the power that some of those have to stop very real work that could save people's houses and people's livelihood from flooding.