Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I know a bit about the agriculture side. There are pretty demanding directives with which farmers must comply to get their CAP payments and to avail themselves of benefits under the various schemes we operate. Cross-compliance criteria require farmers to ensure they do not undermine directives such as the Water Framework Directive and wildlife directive. Therefore, there are many limitations on what farmers can do, particularly near waterways. They are often required to create buffer strips and to limit the type of drainage put in place. They are required to maintain hedgerows and so forth. Therefore, there is not the free-for-all that some might believe exists for farmers trying to extend productive farmland and, in doing so, causing drainage problems that contribute to flooding further down the system. The regime is much more restrictive than that.

I take the Deputy’s point on some of the more sensitive areas, especially around the Shannon catchment, which is a huge, challenging flood plain. Following the floods of the winter that has just passed, one will see much more co-ordination among all stakeholders to ensure better outcomes regarding flood management on the Shannon.

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