Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his comments and appreciate his frustration. My understanding is that the flood forum has met. As Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, the questions I would ask are what it is doing, whether it has made specific recommendations and whether there has been an assessment of risk in respect of each household across the affected street. My understanding is that preliminary meetings have taken place, and I believe further meetings should be arranged as soon as possible. It should get on with this. If Dublin City Council brings forward a scheme to my Department, either by way of a minor works scheme, which covers works up to a cost of €500,000, or a major capital scheme, covering works at a cost of over €500,000, we will prioritise it and get on with it. However, we have to be sure it is a solution that will resolve the problem. There is no point in spending segments of funding on a hydrological survey if its findings are not going to resolve the problem. That is the challenge for the local authorities and the flood forum: to produce a solution that is workable and that meets cost-benefit criteria. There is a solution to every problem, but we should not spend millions upon millions of euro on works if the impact of such works is very minimal compared to the total expenditure. I will check the position regarding the flood forum, what exactly it is doing and whether it is making recommendations to my Department. I have a very open mind about how we can help Dublin City Council and the residents living close to the River Naniken, who have been dreadfully affected by this. Where the OPW has put in place schemes that have resulted in major capital infrastructure projects, insurance cover follows, as it should follow. If we rectify a problem, the insurance companies will then offer cover because it is in their interests to make money through doing so. I cannot envisage insurance companies making an investment in flood cover in circumstances in which we have not spent money and have not produced a solution. We need to get to the solution - if there is a solution. That is the question.

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