Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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It was just incredible. I will go local and again mention the weir at Clonskeagh in my own area. Flood protection works have just been carried out there. We were talking about different agencies with different responsibilities. This is an OPW issue. I look at the scale of the change to the local environment and I fear that some of our flood protection works are overengineered, do not take into account biodiversity and do not consider how more natural flood management techniques, such as overflow areas and so on, can be used. I have a real fear that the approach taken may create further problems in that it tends to speed up the waters and funnel rivers, particularly in the likes of Skibbereen and Bandon. There is a worry that rivers are being culverted rather than flood prevention works being designed. The OPW has a job to do and will say it has to-----