Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

-----I also have responsibilities in this regard. To answer immediately, the directive will be transposed before the end of the year. It probably would have been transposed before the end of November had much of the country not been hit by the flooding crisis, which required everyone's concentration.

The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government's role where there is serious flooding is to ensure that local authorities are prepared to respond promptly to ameliorate the worst effects in respect of those aspects within their direct responsibility and that they act in co-operation with the other principal response agencies - An Garda Síochána and the Health Service Executive, HSE - the voluntary agencies, the Defence Forces and the Office of Public Works, OPW, to limit the effects on individuals whose lives may be put at risk or who may be exposed to serious hardship and, where possible, to protect homes and business premises.

The local authorities are geared to respond promptly and effectively to offset the worst effects of flooding. In responding to the current flooding, local authorities have been using the procedures set out in the framework for major emergency management, which enables the three principal response agencies - An Garda Síochána, the HSE and major local authorities - together with the Defence Forces, Civil Defence and other voluntary agencies to make and co-ordinate the response to flooding. Reports from the areas experiencing major flooding in the past two weeks show that this interagency response has worked in a satisfactory manner. In the past year, I attended interagency meetings in Clonmel and, more recently, Ennis. Regarding the Dublin area, which escaped the severe flooding of the west and south, I understand that the authorities' crisis management teams were on stand-by last weekend, with the position being monitored during the heavy rainfall on Friday night and Saturday.

The OPW is the lead agency for purposes of devising and implementing measures to deal with flooding, including flood relief schemes. I understand from my office that it has provided Dublin City Council with advice, funding and direct labour, on an agency basis, for the carrying out of flood relief works, particularly on the Rivers Dodder and Tolka and elsewhere in the country. Dublin City Council has been the main contracting agency for flood relief works already completed or currently under construction in Dublin.

The need to deal in a proactive manner with the issue of flood risk was recognised by the review of flood policy agreed by the Government in September 2004. In this regard, the OPW has begun pilot studies for the River Dodder and the Fingal-east County Meath area. Procurement of flood risk studies for the additional river catchments will commence in late 2010. The end result of each study will be a catchment flood risk assessment and management plan to meet the dates set out in the EU floods directive, which will be transposed before the end of this year.

The Department has asked the local authorities for reports on the effects of the flooding on individuals and businesses in their areas and proposals that could be pursued to reduce the risk of further flooding. The reports, when received, will be sent to the OPW and other relevant Departments for consideration and necessary remedial works required. I also understand that the county enterprise board network is being used to collate reports from affected businesses, which will be sent to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

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