Gabrielle McFadden (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to take this matter. This situation is not sustainable for communities and businesses. They cannot continue to endure it. I know the Government is committed to doing all it can. It is not just a matter of planning but of investing the resources needed to implement these flood defence plans that are so talked about. I am very pleased to see the considerable investment allocated. I know the Government has set aside more money for the next five years than has been spent in the previous 20 years and that can only be good for Athlone.

I have been assisting in the emergency support efforts in Athlone since the flooding hit the town and have seen at first hand the huge effort invested on behalf of many people, not least by the volunteers who have been working 24 hours a day for the past two weeks. I pay tribute to the volunteers, the local authority, the Defence Forces, the Civil Defence, An Garda Síochána, the Irish Red Cross and the Health Service Executive, not just in Athlone but around the country. Athlone has united to assist people in their time of need. The battle continues to keep the flood at bay but the resilience shown by the local communities is incredible. Many businesses have donated food to the volunteers. The Irish Red Cross had to pay for pumps on a personal credit card. That is not good enough. The national flood emergency response plan has to be reviewed when we recover from the situation we are in now.

While the outdoor staff and executive of Westmeath County Council have worked tirelessly and exceptionally hard in the past two weeks, we need to know why the Army was not called out earlier in Athlone as it was in other towns and why any member of the Irish Red Cross would have to pay for a pump on a personal credit card. Surely the council should have enough money to provide pumps where they are needed.

I want to send out a clear message that Athlone is very much open for business. This is a very important time of year for local businesses and I cannot emphasise enough to shoppers that they are more than welcome to come into Athlone and to move about freely. The town is not flooded.

See this speech in context