Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I did not come here with a wish list and an expectation that the Minister of State could, somehow, pull money out of the air. That said, an effort must be made to find the money required to address the crisis.

I wish to suggest a number of possible solutions. There is no doubt that dredging and drainage work must form part of any solution. I am conscious that the catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, study is in train and hope it will set out some solutions. However, I am also conscious that some of the work will cost so much that it may not be possible to undertake it in the short term. The notion of addressing this issue over a five year period with €400 million or other sum of money is no good to the people affected. They do not have five years to wait; they need action now.

There is an opportunity to undertake some smaller flood defence works around a number of homes in a manner similar to the small works scheme. If that scheme could be extended to private property and residences and people come together in a community effort, it might provide an opportunity to put an appropriate solution in place. I know of one farmer in the Clonlara area who had the means to put a relatively inexpensive flood defence system in place and it worked on this occasion, even though his land was probably at the lowest point.

The Minister of State's Department must give some consideration to the possibility of relocation for some families, some of whom will never be able to settle in their homes again. Even if defensive works are put in place to protect their homes, they will still suffer because the surrounding roads are flooded and they are cut off. This must form part of the solutions considered by the Government. I hope the Minister of State will give favourable consideration to these three elements.

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