Ulick Burke (Galway East, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this very important item tonight. I am delighted that the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, is present because he represents much of the area that has been flooded in County Galway in the past.

Just because we no longer see headlines about flooding in County Galway it does not mean it has gone away. Flooding still exists in many parts of County Galway some three or four months later. I welcome the list of small schemes proposed in County Galway in conjunction with Galway County Council and the OPW. I pay tribute to the OPW personnel who have adopted a very sensible attitude and consultative role in progressing many of these schemes. The schemes are now sensibly recognised as flood relief and not drainage. Many of the small schemes announced are related to the Dunkellin catchment area. The proposal means that the obstacles that caused much of the problem in the catchment area in the past can readily be removed, which would eliminate many, if not all, the problems that have caused such devastation to the family homes and farm lands in the areas concerned in County Galway. Rock removal and bridge reconstruction will allow relief of many of the problems.

South County Galway has a different problem. The 1997 Peach report recommended that the Tarmon area alone was the one most suitable to be addressed. I am asking the Minister to revisit the issue and investigate the possibility of having minor works carried out there to alleviate some of the problem. This was the single area in which work was recommended to proceed then on the basis of the cost-benefit analysis. Unfortunately the funding provided on that occasion was returned to the Exchequer and no works were carried out. I want a simple answer on this one. All that is required in this area is to relieve the surplus water and not drainage. The area in south County Galway should be re-examined to ascertain what can be done at low cost. Local experience has shown that a simple channel or piped length of watercourse would eliminate the constant threat under which these people live from the periodic surplus waters during flood time.

What will the Department do to provide for many farmers whose land was flooded in the November floods and still remains flooded? These farmers have found that their lands are totally useless and have not yet had the spring growth. Many farmers had reseeded the lands destroyed by the earlier floods about five weeks ago and had it all washed away by the most recent downpours. This means that they will lose this year's fodder harvest. I ask the Minister to examine the serious situation faced by many of these farmers who have lost out for a second time and will have serious problems later in the year.

It is now suggested that part of the cause of the constant flooding in this area of south County Galway is the Coillte drainage system in the Slieve Aughty mountains which allows the rain to come down to the lowlands in torrents like never before through its vertical drainage system. The Government should investigate in consultation with Coillte alternative contour patterns of drainage rather than the vertical system which now exists causing the problems. At present these forests are being felled and cleared, which allows an ideal opportunity for the OPW to investigate without additional cost.

The remit of the HSE to administer humanitarian funds was to make dwellings safe and habitable. How much has been paid out to these householders to do that? Most of the houses flooded in County Galway, in Ballinasloe, in Meelick, Eyrecourt and along the Shannon banks can be made habitable but not safe as they will be flooded again unless the works are carried out. Will the Government consider the relocation of some of these families in County Galway and the flood protections in Ballinasloe as well as the management of the water levels in the Shannon basin so that they will not suffer the inevitable floods if work is not carried out? It would be much better if humanitarian funds were combined with insurance compensation, which would go a long way to provide a safe dwelling in an upland area.

The people want to eliminate the serious problems for the future. Given the number of agencies with an interest in the environment in the area, will the OPW under the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, take the lead role to convince these groups that people's livelihoods are more important than the flora and fauna? When will the legislation giving this power to the Minister of State be before the Dáil?

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