Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Considering the weather experiences we have had over recent years, I must compliment the OPW on a lot of the work it has done. It is extraordinary that although a lot of flooding and damage was done, a couple of weeks ago I heard a warning on Shannonside, our local radio station, about the low water levels on the River Shannon, which is a complete change in a short space of time within a season. I must accept it is difficult for agencies to deal with situations like that and to take everything into consideration.

I have a number of questions. Is the aforementioned €1 billion ring-fenced for the ten-year period? It is a significant amount of money but is it totally ring-fenced and guaranteed? Is it there for dealing with what could be emergencies and other issues that may need to be dealt with? I understood that the Government put money into a relocation scheme. Is that correct? How many applications have been received and how many people have been relocated? If that information is not available today, can the information be furnished to me later ?

Furthermore, the study of turloughs is in progress and I understand it will take a number of years to carry out. I believe two such studies are under way in Roscommon. When is it envisaged that we will have a report on them?

Have we got a maintenance budget for the River Shannon? We have heard a lot of talk about pinch points and I am sure Mr. Buckley has travelled many times across the bridge in Lanesborough and has seen the abhorrent growth there, that was never there before. I fished as a young lad there and this is causing a lot of annoyance to fishermen. Is there a budget to remove that type of growth, as well as the amount of silt and peat that is in the River Shannon? Capacity has been badly affected over the years. Is there a budget to cover that?

As for flood defences, it appears to me that we are looking at masses of concrete as flood defences. We should be eco-friendly and environmentally friendly by following those parts of the world where they do not use these concrete defences, which will look appalling around towns like Roscommon or Carrick-on-Shannon. Is it the case that where we do put up such flood defences, it all is going to be mass concrete?

Mr. Buckley has spoken about the issue of insurance. Some great work has been carried out in Ballinasloe, County Galway but unfortunately, residents, businesses and families cannot get their property insured. I appreciate that it is not entirely the OPW's area but it is causing a lot of frustration and distress.

Is there a budget to deal with coastal erosion and damage? I am our party spokesperson on OPW and flood relief and I visited Inishowen after that horrendous storm and the damage I saw there was shocking. I know that moneys are being spent there to rectify a lot of the damage done. Is part of that budget there to deal with coastal damage and erosion?