Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State's reply. In so far as Laois is concerned, I want him to address the situation because it is very different from the other issues raised today in that families are trapped. There is a simple solution.

We spoke earlier about unspent money in the Government's flood relief coffers. The Minister of State might confirm how much of the fund has not been spent. If the local authority in this case makes a submission directly to the Department, we do not want it to be pushed around by civil servants, here, there and everywhere. If the local authority, which, in this case, is Laois County Council, wants to address the Clonterry situation and if it puts in a submission to the Department, will the Minister of State give me a commitment now that he will at least examine it to see if it can be fitted into this package? I do not want to get into a bureaucratic argument about whether it is a matter for the OPW or Laois County Council. In days gone by, it would have been the Barrow Drainage Board but it was abolished.

This is a ready-to-go scheme and all we need is a little dry weather. We do not need anything else for it. I ask the Minister of State to address the Laois situation in his reply. It is important for the families that are hemmed in and cannot get out in the Clonterry area.

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