Marcella Corcoran Kennedy (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The River Shannon has been flooding in winter for centuries. However, the onset of summer flooding, coupled with an increase in the incidence of torrential rain in recent years, has alerted us to the fact that something else is happening, namely, climate change. Climate scientists tell us that extreme weather events will become more frequent. Rather than being a one-in-100-year event, as we were led to believe when we experienced the most recent major flood event in 2009, more intense rainfall and high river flows can be expected to become the norm.

In 2012, a summer flood also caused havoc along the Shannon catchment, including the Shannon Callows in west County Offaly, parts of north County Tipperary and other midlands counties. This prompted the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and Gaeltacht to hold hearings and produce a report. Committee members agreed that no further investigations or surveys were needed and proposed instead to make practical recommendations to take action to deal with flooding before and after it occurred. The resulting report was titled, Eight Proposals Urgently Required to Tackle Flooding on the River Shannon, its Tributaries and the Water Feeding into it.

The first and most important recommendation was to appoint one agency to oversee management of the River Shannon. The joint committee recommended that this agency be the Office of Public Works. It envisaged that all other agencies would be obliged to follow directions given by the OPW if their response was not sufficient to have a positive impact as soon as storms were forecast. It is also worth noting the seven other recommendations made in the report, which were to maintain the River Shannon, its tributaries and the water feeding into it; engage in local consultation and co-ordination; maintain appropriate water levels; prevent and alleviate the build-up of silt; establish flood warning systems and emergency management; utilise boglands to attenuate water from the River Shannon, where necessary; and protect our natural heritage.

I welcome the Government's decision to establish a River Shannon task force. I understand the Office of Public Works will report back on the terms of reference for the task force in the next week or thereabouts. I appeal to the Minister of State to ensure that the OPW takes into account the report of the joint committee before making a final decision on the terms of reference.

Another consideration must include a survey of the existing zoning for development, either residential or commercial, in flood plains. Evidence of poor decisions has been obvious to all in recent weeks. Dezoning and rezoning land as unsuitable for any development in certain flood risk areas must be a priority. Additionally, specific measures to incorporate climate change impacts into flood management plans will be required.

I am keen to see the establishment of local community flood relief committees. This should be seriously considered. They could work with local authorities and other agencies to produce a public flood response plan. This could include weather forecasting and mechanisms such that increasing river levels would trigger a local response, for example, placing sand bags on pallets in strategic areas, initiating a text alert system and ensuring access to pumping systems, as required. I believe this is a real possibility since communities have already shown their willingness by being proactive and assisting in efforts to protect residences and businesses in recent weeks. The new and welcome flood forecasting and warning service involving Met Éireann and the OPW will be critical to the success of these committees in future.

I look forward to hearing the outcome of the Government plans to meet the EU Commissioner to ensure emergency works on rivers comply with directives. Year after year, problems arise when maintenance is required but some EU directive or other is quoted as grounds for preventing the essential work. This happens regularly at the cut near Meelick in Bannagher. It is silted to such an extent that vegetation growth is reducing the width of the river, which naturally bursts its banks as a result. The tributaries and other watercourses are equally important and require regular maintenance. For the first time in my life, the River Brosna flooded because the Shannon was so swollen. This left some home owners isolated and others had to evacuate their homes.

I pay tribute to all agencies and committees involved in coping with the extensive flooding of the Shannon, especially around the areas of Shannon Harbour, Shannonbridge, Bannagher, Lusmagh, Ferbane, Pollagh, the Derries, Rashina, Lorrha and Carrigahorig, to mention but a few.

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