Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Minister of State, Deputy Canney, will be well aware, flooding has affected thousands of people across the country and last winter's storms have left some communities absolutely devastated. Lessons must be learned from these catastrophic flooding events, which may increase in frequency and strength as our climate continues to change. Unless we start implementing a co-ordinated flood prevention and insurance strategy, houses and businesses along the Shannon, in Cork and in Waterford will be forced to endure years of uncertainty and anxiety as the flood threat escalates.

As the House will be aware, €480 million has been earmarked for flood defence schemes between now and 2021. While it is welcome, this money must be fully used and all planning obstacles and delays must be addressed immediately.

I contacted the Minister of State's office in July in regard to an elderly couple who live in a home that has been flooded three times in the past 16 years. The Minister of State's office replied and forwarded the details to the OPW. It is now December and while I stress the Minister of State's office has been more than helpful and has liaised with the OPW, I am still waiting for a substantive answer from it. I reiterate that the Minister of State's office has been more than helpful and any time it gets on to the OPW, the OPW comes back to me, but that has happened three times. The Minister of State has said to me that in accordance with best practice, one would hope to respond in six to eight weeks.

With the winter fast approaching, the worry is there again. Constant waking during the night when rivers are in flood or there is a high tide, turning on the portable pumps and putting up the flood doors wears one down. One's home is eventually flooded and then the water recedes but that is only the beginning. The clean-up begins, the insurance forms are filled out and claims are made but one's home is never the same. The worry goes on and on. Will it happen again? Will one be able to get insurance?

Before I conclude, I would like to make an appeal to the Minister of State on behalf of those living in one-off houses, or stand-alone houses, who do not have a community to fight for them. They do not have a voice because they are worn out by the horrible cycle of events. Will the Minister of State place an emphasis on these stand-alone houses that flood because these people need a voice as well?

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