Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I was Minister of State with responsibility for this area prior to the current Minister of State, Deputy Moran, and launched the exhibition stage of the lower Lee Cork city flood relief scheme in December. I am from Galway, not Cork, and will not get involved in the local element. I am very surprised the issue is before this committee and that no local authority elected representatives or affected business people have been invited to appear. This is a committee to discuss culture, heritage and the Gaeltacht. The argument on a solution to flooding in Cork city concerns engineering.

The witnesses mentioned disruption and so on. When I was Minister, Cork people told me there was a hell of a lot of disruption when there was flooding in the city. A solution must be found. A huge amount of time was given to public consultation at exhibition stage. It was extended and I thank the Office of Public Works, OPW, for doing that. Many submissions have come in and it is premature to have this meeting until the exhibition stage process is complete. I am surprised that people are here while the process is ongoing. I am not saying they are not welcome but the process should be allowed to progress to completion. The exhibition stage is all about consultation. Mr. Sydenham mentioned that amendments or similar have been made as a result of the public consultation process. We need to allow that process to complete and let its findings come out. I am concerned that we may end up in a long-drawn-out legal battle where nothing happens. The people of Cork deserve more than that and we need to be sensible about it.