Martin Ferris (Kerry North-West Limerick, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is no doubt that what is happening today and what has occurred in recent weeks and months must be classed as a national emergency. The homes of people in Limerick, where the Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, lives, Cork and elsewhere have been flooded in recent weeks.

Water can do significant damage in a house; it destroys carpets, floorboards and everything else and nothing can undo the emotional and psychological damage it can cause. Even people who have escaped from having their homes flooded have been confined to their homes for fear of going out. This was more than evident in the past two weeks.

I have been receiving calls all day today from people in my constituency and from those in my own area of Ardfert. They are telling me that they are cowering in their houses. The slates are flying all around them, trees are falling and power is gone. My ten grandchildren, my daughter, sons and wife are all sheltering in one house, my family home, as are their neighbours. They cannot come out because the weather is so bad. We live in Ardfert which is five miles from Tralee where the roof of the Brandon Hotel is gone, as is a roof in the institute of technology in Tralee. Part of the roof of Tralee golf club is gone. I telephoned two people I know very well who have been fishermen all their lives, one of whom is older than me and the other man is my age. They have never seen anything like it.

During the week the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, was down in Fenit and in Ballylongford and Castleisland on his way to Cork. I thank him for making the effort to come down, which is appreciated. I refer to the devastation that has been done in the past number of weeks, in particular, the damage to breakwaters which protect part of our coastal communities. Gaps have been made in the sand bar between Fenit island and Fenit. It is inevitable this sand bar will be destroyed unless something is done to try to protect it. If it does go, between 25 and 30 houses will be in danger along the Tawlaght area back into Chapeltown and over onto the Barrow side. The Minister of State was in Ballylongford. What happened in Ballylongford is not the Minister of State's fault. In 2002 the people were flooded out of their homes and they were made election promises. The previous Government did nothing and now the same thing has happened but only worse. Ballybunion was hit very badly. Rossbeigh has a big sand bar going across the bay from Inch which serves as a protection. It is reckoned that in excess of 1 million tonnes of sand has gone. Anyone who has walked Banna beach will know the lifebuoy posts are positioned against the sand dunes. Now a forty foot articulated truck could be driven between the posts and the sand dunes because the dunes are gone.

There is a significant job of work to be done and I pay credit to the people of Fenit who had a meeting last week. If they can be provided with the material support they are prepared to make the effort to save that sand barrier which connects Fenit island and Fenit. It will take community effort and support as well as government funding. Together we can do something that would benefit all communities and help to save communities which are in a terrible state.

I do not like to attack the Minister, Deputy Hogan, or try to point-score but his announcement of €70 million in aid is in contrast to the €80 spent on consultants by Irish Water. That puts it in perspective. Individuals prepare a report and they are paid €80 million while an extra €70 million is to be spent in trying to protect our communities. One of the people who telephoned me today said, "We were calling this hurricane Hogan. The Minister is like a hurricane; he destroys everything and he fixes nothing". I hope he proves me wrong and that the other Ministers will live up to our expectations.

This is a national emergency. I have never seen anything as bad in my lifetime. Coastal communities all around the coast have been affected. I was in Kilmore Quay last week because the Sinn Féin Ard-Fheis was held in Wexford. I went out to Kilmore Quay on Thursday and I saw the huge damage there and in Duncannon. There has been damage all along the east coast but the west coast has taken the brunt of it because it is so exposed. Capital funding is necessary to restore and protect the piers and slipways and scenic coastal walkways. Clare County Council estimates that it will cost €45 million or €46 million to restore Lahinch. I do not know what will be the estimate for County Kerry but it will be astronomical if everything is to be restored as it was. It will take very great effort and financing to save the sand dunes that have been badly damaged in the past week.

I wish to put on the record of the House the tremendous efforts by the ESB workers, council workers, community activists and ordinary councillors who have been helping people in their respective communities. They have been a shining example and we are greatly indebted to all of them, in particular, the county council, the ESB and others, who have made such a huge effort.

Is everyone around the Cabinet table taking this situation and the damage seriously? Is it a case of saying that we get this every year? This is the worst I have seen in my lifetime. I come from a coastal community where I live and where I grew up. I have seen circumstances where human life and boats were lost but nothing compares to this. When I left Fenit on Monday evening to come to Dublin, half of Fenit island was flooded and it has been flooded for the past two months. That is only one area. Parts of west County Clare have been greatly damaged. I refer to the material damage to the fishing sector. I welcome the announcement by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, that he will make funding available to replace lost fishing gear from the ten and fifteen metre inshore fishing vessels. I know people who have lost 500 and 600 pots and that can be multiplied by 60, which is their entire fishing gear gone. They will be given up to €6,000 maximum to replace their gear. That amount would replace 100 pots, one sixth of what they need to fish to make a living. The funding is a help and I will not belittle it but it is a long way short of what they will need if they are to be able to have a viable fishing livelihood.

Sinn Féin has drafted a climate change Bill which would legislate for a 20% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020, and an 85% reduction by 2050. We have been waiting for the Government to publish a climate change Bill to address the problems. The long-term weather forecasters say things will be worse rather than better. We need to protect our coasts and our communities.

I refer to information on work carried out by the OPW which was given in answer to a parliamentary question. Out of a total spend of almost €290 million on flood capital works carried out by the OPW since 2002, only €1 million was spent in County Kerry, which represents 0.3% of the total spend.

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