Martin Mansergh (Tipperary South, Fianna Fail)

A flood in Newcastle West was a 700 year event but work is being done at that location. Obviously, flood defence works cannot provide absolute guarantees against all eventualities. I refer to a situation in the UK in a place called Cockermouth which had one in 100 defences in place. As I understand it, 12 inches of rain fell in eight hours and those defences were overrun. We should bear that in mind. In the Irish context where works have been completed the results have been very satisfactory. I refer to the town of Carrick-on-Suir which is very close to Clonmel. It has not been flooded in recent years but Clonmel has, although one is only a short distance up stream from the other.

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