Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

I wish to focus on the situation in Cork which was referred to by the previous speaker. There are two issues, drinking water and severe flooding. On flooding, I support the call made for an independent inquiry. We need to know what was responsible for it. Those people who were washed out of their homes and businesses and public institutions, who suffered damage to property, want answers. They want to know what went wrong, what might have been done to prevent the situation and, in particular, why they were not given advance warning.

Many theories and scenarios have been put forward in recent days. The only solution is to have an independent inquiry that will provide answers for these people. On one hand, it appears the local authority did not have enough notice. Today, the ESB issued a release stating that last Thursday, 19 November, at 10.50 a.m., it informed Cork County Council, Cork City Council and the emergency services of the emerging situation and the imminent flooding. It issued a media alert warning of the danger of severe flooding in the Lee valley, between the Inniscarra dam and Cork city, a distance of approximately eight miles. That is the ESB's story. We do not seem to have the recognition that people in Cork were told of the danger of severe and imminent flooding.

We need to have emergency alerts. Residents must be informed. Systems such as websites do not seem to work and are not enough. There are many questions and people need answers if we are to move forward. There is also the fact that Cork city was dependent on one pumping station. That does not make any sense in this day and age. There was not the facility to tap into any other resource in a neighbouring authority which leads to other questions. We need a national water authority. Today, however, people are suffering. We need answers as to how this happened and how we can ensure that it will not happen again in the future.

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