Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge the Minister of State's comment that the reply relates to projects in counties Galway and Roscommon but the constituency concerned is Roscommon-Galway. As I said, Dunkellin, Claregalway, Craughwell and Gort are outside of that area. However, I accept the point made by the Minister of State.

The Minister of State referred to 15 projects in respect of which Roscommon County Council has not yet drawn down funding. We need to ensure that funding is drawn down as quickly as possible. I acknowledge that the Minister of State has visited, engaged with and listened to representatives of the constituency and that he has never refused to take my calls or to have a meeting with me on these issues. The cost of the damage done in the Roscommon-Galway constituency, particularly in Roscommon, was in excess of €11 million. To date, the council has received funding of only €6.4 million. I am told by the engineers in Roscommon that there is already a deficit of €5 million. The Government has had one good friend over the past eight or nine months, namely, good weather. If there had been further flooding last year or were there flooding this spring, we would be in dire straits. I appeal to the Minister of State to avail of every avenue open to him to get the money that is needed to repair damage that was done last year.

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