Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for his response and clarifying the total commitment of local authorities to working with everybody concerned to ensure the public is informed and assisted and that no stone is left unturned in helping everybody affected.

I am conscious that the Minister of State said the Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, will be updating the Cabinet on Tuesday on the perspective of his Department which has responsibility for local authorities. With this in mind, I remind the House about certain occurrences in the hope they will not recur this time around. There was under-expenditure by the OPW in the order of €15 million on flood defence mechanisms. Only one tenth of the cost was reimbursed to councils further to the damage caused two years ago. Councils, the public and Members need to be reassured that no obstacle will be in the way of the Government when funding local authorities to ensure the sort of response our constituents deserve.

Having met representatives of the ESB today, it continues to be apparent that the organisation believes any alterations to address water levels in Lough Derg will not benefit anybody in my area or that of Deputy Fitzmaurice. It has no control and no obligation and there is no coming together of minds to address the silt issue that was raised earlier today in the House and by many of our constituents over recent years. The Government and its predecessor committed funds for drainage works in the River Brosna, but they were brought to a grinding halt by bodies such as the fisheries authority and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Despite previous commitments, I would like another commitment to be given today to help the people at the coalface whose livelihoods have been destroyed because of a lack of cohesive action on the part of all the relevant authorities. I want the Government to commit to bringing together all the relevant stakeholders, including the ESB, the OPW, the relevant Departments, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the fisheries authorities and the IFA. Reason has to win over. Although we hear about the environmental impact of various works that are required, unfortunately it has come to the stage where the common good has to be prioritised. This year, we noted the figure for drainage works has been reduced by 3% since 2010. It is a year in which the OPW spent €15 million less than it had committed for drainage works and in which the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government has not fully reimbursed councils. I will be obtaining the national figure in the coming days. In my county, which has been greatly affected once more, only 10% of the cost of rectification works was paid to the local authority. I have fears in this regard that need to be addressed. I hope the Minister of State will do so right now.

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