Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will start by taking issue with comments made earlier by my constituency colleague, Deputy Jim Daly. I am disappointed the Deputy reduced this matter to political point scoring. I would point out that it was a Fianna Fáil Minister of State, Mr. Martin Mansergh, who ring-fenced the €9.6 million for the flood relief works in Bandon. I fully support this motion and I thank my colleague, Deputy Eugene Murphy, for bringing it before the House. Cork South-West is an area badly affected by flooding and in 2009, we were badly hit. At the time, we were told that it was a one in a 100 year event. Unfortunately, this very month last year, west Cork was hit, not once but twice, by serious flooding. I commend the Minister of State on his proactive stance in regard to flood relief works being carried out at present across west Cork, and I thank him for that. I stress the importance of these works being completed as quickly as possible. Where works have not been started, we would be grateful if they could commence.

The issue of flood insurance remains a significant one in west Cork. I commend my colleague, Deputy Michael McGrath, for bringing that issue before the House and I hope it can be sorted. Climate change has changed the issue of flooding. In essence, there needs to be legislative change to go along with that and I urge the Minister of State to do this.

See this speech in context