Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)

I only have to stand at Kilmorna, or at the metal bridge near the Westering Inn to see that, 30 years ago, the bogs would soak up the rainwater and leave it down over a period of ten days. Now it is draining and rushing down and surges of water are coming down, gouging away the sides of the river. The flooding in Listowel happened in Listowel town at one particular time. Twenty minutes later, it happened down at Kilmorna. A surge of water came down. I would be afraid, given what it is in the draft OPW report into the flooding in Listowel, which is completely silent on the impact of forestry and rainwater surges upstream, that this will not be taken seriously enough to be included. It is all very well to deal with the forestry falling, but without factoring in all the forestry, including biodiversity, the impact will not be as strong as it possibly could have been.