William Aird (Laois, Fine Gael)

I thank the Comhchathaoirleach for letting me in. I am not on this committee but I came in because of the importance of Storm Éowyn and ensuring we all learn from things. Everything else has been covered, but I wish to comment on two things. I have been a member of councils all my life. Laois County Council pushed out every single solid button it could in order to help the Order of Malta and the Civil Defence, and I want to stand over that. I thank those people for what they did.

I do not know whether this was spoken about here today, but we need to speak about the flooding that resulted from Storm Éowyn. Flooding is something that we need to work on. Late last night I went to look at a river that was overflowing onto a road in my own area. What happens is that the local authorities get the blame for this but it is nothing to do with them. They are not allowed to do it. When I first started in Laois County Council, I saw the dredging that was able to take place. We went in and spoke to the engineers at the particular time in all the different areas that we were responsible for. We could see the work that would be done. There is no work being done - none. If a river is not cleaned, it is the very same as not cleaning the shore in your yard - it will get blocked. Will the Department stop this nonsense? That is what it is. I am appealing to the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, to please stand up to the mark on this and do something to clean the rivers or we are going to have huge problems with flooding that will be equally as bad as what we had in Storm Éowyn. That is all I am saying. We have no one to blame only ourselves - the politicians - if we do not change that law that exists at the moment.