Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In the five years I have been in the Dáil, it has always struck me as interesting that the Dáil staggers from crisis to crisis. Members in the Chamber get het up and focused on a major crisis, and then they move on to the next crisis in a few weeks. As a result, the initial crisis never receives the political will, effort or energy it needs to be fixed.

I reference this to a number of matters, one of which is global warming. The Minister spoke about global warming, but what effort has the State made to reduce global warming over the past five years? With regard to electric cars, the objective was that they would account for 10% of the car market. They are currently 0.5% of the market. There has been a trickling roll-out of the retrospective insulation of houses. The State has failed on every aspect of global warming. There is not a decent cycling lane in the country. The move from coal generated electricity to biofuels and so forth is not happening. It is interesting that the Taoiseach, when he was going to Paris and just before the storms hit, tried to make an argument for Ireland not to live up to its responsibility with regard to cutting greenhouse gases. He said we have to protect the farming industry. The farming industry is not protected when it is under water and people are finding it difficult to keep fodder and livestock safe.

Another interesting issue is that the Government talks tough and refers to figures when it comes to flooding. However, look at the investment. Investment is one of the biggest failings of this Government. It is not something that gains headlines on a regular basis but it has a serious effect on people. In 2008, there was capital investment of €9 billion in the State. Now it is approximately €3 billion. In the spring document produced before the budgetary process, the Government indicated that its capital investment was going to reduce from 1.8% of GDP to 1.5% before 2020. In other words, even though the economy is currently finding some legs, the Government has decided to reduce government infrastructure investment as a proportion of GDP over the next five years. What is considered proper investment in a state? The European average is approximately 4%. That is what is deemed necessary to maintain the capital stock of a state, but the Government expects to invest 1.5% in 2015. The Government does not directly cause the rain, even though its policies to ameliorate global warming are really poor and do not help, but it does not invest the necessary funds in the protection of communities when that is necessary with regard to flooding. That is a major flaw in the Government.

In fact, the Government does not hope to do it in the term of the next Government either. We do not see the Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny, going out on the plinth to say that the Government will introduce €4 billion of investment over the next four years in X, Y and Z. However, he does say that he will make cuts in universal social charge worth €4 billion over the same timeframe. That is his political priority. The Government is saying simply that people cannot have European infrastructure or European public services because it is giving people American taxes.

Current investment is also a big issue. Many local authorities have been suffering as a result. Meath has experienced flooding. It has not been as bad as the flooding in the Shannon basin or in County Cork, but individual homes have been swamped by floods due to rivers and streams breaking their banks and the fact that drains are not being cleared properly. I am aware of a woman who awoke at 1 a.m. to hear her neighbour beeping the horn of their car. She stepped out of her bed into one and a half feet of water. The reason was that the drain running past her house has been blocked for a long period of time, due to the Government's cut of 30% in the outdoor staff of local authorities.

The political will does not exist. A progress report from the Office of Public Works reveals that 20 major flood defence schemes are running behind schedule. Some of them are two years behind schedule. The reason is delays with regard to the implementation and planning of the schemes or the employment of the necessary consultants to do it. It is important that we do not add to the floods with crocodile tears and that the Government invests real money. It should also tax on the basis that it will invest real money.

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