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

The programme for Government laid out a plan to tackle flooding, with €450 million to be spent over five years. I am sure the Minister has read the recent reports by Paul Melia in theIrish Independent. Those reports are shocking, with headlines such as "Perfect storm will cause havoc for businesses again if nothing is done", "Dozens of towns will never get protection from floods because sums do not add up" and "Vulnerable town fears a repeat of recent history". The Government has barely dipped its toes in the water in the context of this massive crisis. We have had eight or nine months of good weather and nothing has been done. There has been no dredging and no drainage.

When will the Government wake up to the fact that this is a huge crisis for many parts of Ireland? When can we expect to see real action? If proof is needed of my assertion that nothing is happening, it can be found in the articles I have mentioned. We need immediate action. Communities are still recovering from the appalling mess that was created last year. This is a challenge for those who are in government. It is clear that this Government has not grasped this issue and is not acting on it.

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