Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

With regard to the figures the Deputy put forward, in the past 20 years Governments have invested €410 million in flood relief schemes. By comparison, this Government has provided €430 million, in terms of national planning, for flood risk in the coming six years. A number of very successful flood defence and flood alleviation schemes have been put in place in recent times, such as in Clonmel, close to the Deputy's area, where it is working well and, one hopes, will continue to work well. Flood defence schemes have also been installed in a wide range of towns at risk of flooding while work is at a very advanced stage for a number of other schemes.

The Deputy referred to EU rules. EU rules relating to flooding require, for the best of reasons, intensive local consultation on the provision of flood defence schemes. In some cases, this has given rise to serious objections at local level. The Deputy is probably familiar with the discussions in Dublin about some of the flood defence schemes. The public discussion process in the planning process, as required by EU rules, is lengthy. However, the Government has provided for more funding in recent years and over the next six years for flood defences than previous Governments provided over 20 years.

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