Tony McLoughlin (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We need to set this debate in a manner which will begin to examine how we go about preventing this type of damage from occurring time and time again during future storms. As global climate change continues to develop, and with many climate experts now claiming that Ireland's winters are likely to become wetter and colder over the coming years, we as legislators need to ensure that better systems are in place nationally to help to minimise the damage effected by flooding. This includes improving our overall national response to the flooding crisis, developing better flood prevention mechanisms, such as flood defences, and taking a serious look at our planning regulations and the approval of once-off housing developments in rural areas which are subject to sporadic flooding.

In the past two months I visited a large number of family homes in counties Sligo and Leitrim affected by the recent flooding episodes.

I am advised that of the ten houses in County Sligo which have been evacuated since December, no family has been able to return such is the level of destruction caused. No families should be forced out of their homes over Christmas and if they are, they should be met with the best possible level of care and assistance from the State.

Hundreds of businesses have been affected by the storms, with more than 135 in County Leitrim being inaccessible and many others in County Sligo also having to close, with a major loss of income to the owners. Farmers have also been affected, with a large number being put off their lands. When I visited these damaged homes and businesses, the first thing that became clear to me was the total sense of helplessness and fear. In many cases, water rose up through the ground or else flowed in so fast that the damage could not be contained. While we may not have been able to stop the water on this occasion, we can begin to put in place measures that will seek to stop it in future or seek to minimise the damage caused.

A number of measures could be taken now. For example, we could construct new flood defences, dredge more of our rivers, and ensure no more new houses are built on flood plains. We could introduce insurance levies and arrange for the worst affected families to be compensated by the Government for having to move from their homes to higher ground. However, a simple response, which I believe the Government could take, is to look at the social welfare assistance on offer and the means tests involved. It has been very annoying to read about the supposed social welfare assistance payments which were being made available to families affected by the flooding. Of all the homes to which I delivered these forms not one was granted any financial assistance because of the means test. Flood damage is flood damage and if assistance is being offered, it should be offered to everyone who has been affected. This is my opinion as we all pay taxes. No household can take the hit which storm damage leaves, either insured or not. However, I welcome the Government's swift response of more than €20 million for businesses and households which could meet the means test.

I strongly believe we need greater assistance from our European partners to help us develop and pay for new flood defences. On this basis, I call on the Government to seek more funding than has already been identified for this purpose in the current EU budget. I pay particular tribute to the staff at Sligo and Leitrim local authorities for their efforts and to all the other agencies which have worked extremely hard over recent weeks to try to eliminate the concerns of many people.

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