Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Maureen O'Sullivan and the Technical Group for sharing time.

In light of what the previous speaker said, I will not blame the Government for the weather. However, I would like to raise a number of specific issues. Prior to being disbanded, the Land Commission was in charge of, for example, embankments and protection works to save property and land from the ravages of the sea. When it was abolished, no authority was set up to take its place. The OPW is saying it cannot do these works because it is the responsibility of the local authority. People can make applications to the OPW through their local authority for funds and then the works can be carried out.

The Minister of State, Deputy Hayes, visited Cork last week and I was disappointed at first when it was suggested he would not visit Kerry but I was glad that he changed his mind and made a brief detour to Kerry. We are welcoming when Ministers come to Kerry and we are glad to see them because there are so many concentrated around Dublin and we could do with a few more down our side of the country. Unfortunately, the Minister of State gave false hope to people

I refer to the case of Patie O'Sullivan, his partner Noreen and their young family. They built a new beautiful home, which was destroyed after Christmas by the storms. They had to leave the house and they are living with relatives now. They cannot claim on the house insurance because if they do so and repair the house, they fear they will be flooded again. It will cost approximately €100,000 to keep the tide out of their home. Where will that money come from?

Has the Government proposals to set up a body to do the work the Land Commission did to protect and maintain embankments, sluice gates, drains, pipes and strands? Nobody is responsible for this work now and that is wrong. It is not okay for me to say the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW is wrong. Previous governments should have set up a body to take charge of these pieces of infrastructure that used to be looked after by the Land Commission. This is similar to the case of water gushing over roads because the section men who used to clean the water off the sides of the roads are gone. That was another policy that went haywire and has resulted in all our roads becoming drains.

What is the young family I mentioned supposed to do? They cannot return to their home. I am speaking on behalf of my county because every other Member will speak on behalf of theirs. The coastal areas of the county I adore, Kerry, have been ravaged from Ballylongford to Cromane, Rossbeigh, Caherdaniel and Castlecove and this will continue. Where will the money come from? I asked the Taoiseach to access the EU Solidarity Fund. Nobody has given me a sensible explanation as to why we are not entitled to access that fund. It is there to deal with disasters. If the Minister of State has a chance, he should look at the news at 9 p.m. to see what happened in County Kerry earlier. Hotels had their roofs ripped off. The county is like a war zone because of what happened. I spoke to elderly people who live along the coast and they said they have never seen anything like this in their lives. I do not blame the Government parties for the weather. Will they access the EU Solidarity Fund? Will they ensure a body takes over the functions of the old Land Commission? Will they ensure that people such as Patie O'Sullivan and his partner, Noreen, will be able to return to their homes? I am citing them as an example. There are many other cases of people who have been driven out of their homes.

The Minister of State, Deputy Hayes, gave them false hope last week because he told them under the minor grants scheme, local authorities would get money from the OPW. However, when the OPW gets the money, it will be spent on large capital projects.

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