Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach's reply confirms my basic point that there was a lack of preparation at Government level for the emergencies that occurred. I refer to very basic issues, such as the hiring of pumps. I was in Midleton where hours after the shocking flooding, people were still looking for the proper pumps to pump out the water. I was in Portumna in Galway where it was down to the six council staff. Deputy Keaveney was with me and we met Councillor Anne Rabbitte who led the charge with the council staff to simply put up a basic defence to save the town from flooding. A €200,000 spend some time back would have prevented that necessity. Many people on the ground say that minor works, from drainage and reinforcing of walls and ditches, would have done a great deal to prevent a lot of the damage that was done. In Bandon and other towns, people are adamant that if it was not for farmers and civil contractors, the situation would have been a great deal worse.

However, some civil contractors were told they should not be doing the work and that they did not have insurance for it. There were no protocols in place. Some people were told they should not be doing the work when the whole place was under water. Talking to traders, I heard that it was those people who made the essential difference in the eye of the storm. In Clare at New Quay, Clonlara and Tubber, basic interventions in advance could have kept connectivity between townlands and villages.

There is an issue around the lack of preparation. I mentioned to the Taoiseach that the emergency response plan has not been updated since 2007, which is a serious indictment. On the insurance front, I asked the Taoiseach a month ago to consider the British approach in terms of legislation and otherwise in providing a not-for-profit fund to deal with houses at risk from flooding.

All of the Taoiseach's response was post-event. It was a commentary on the event and its aftermath. Very little of what he said has answered the set of questions I put to him on the state of preparedness of people on the ground and at Government level directing matters before and between the storms.

See this speech in context