Pat Gallagher (Donegal, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank my constituency colleague, Deputy Charlie McConalogue, and the Acting Chairman, Deputy Eugene Murphy, who is our spokesperson on flooding for tabling this important motion. It is very appropriate to have this debate some weeks after the floods occurred on the Inishowen Peninsula. I compliment the Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran, who post-haste travelled to County Donegal on becoming aware of the flooding. I was indisposed at the time and unable to witness it at first hand, but in following it on television, in the newspapers and on local radio I noticed that the Minister of State was not looking for the limelight and not interested in photo opportunities, unlike many of his colleagues, on which I compliment him. However, we will judge him and his colleagues in the weeks ahead when we see whether they will put their money where their mouths are as they said they would on that fateful August Monday in County Donegal. I believe the Minister of State will and we will support him to ensure his colleagues in government will do likewise. We were told that money would be available to restore whatever it was necessary to restore, whether it was bridges, roads or sports facilities, and to provide compensation for farmers. As such, we will hold the Government to account in the coming weeks.

I acknowledge the total destruction caused by the flooding on the Inishowen Peninsula and the huge personal loss. Those of us who were not subject to it will never understand, but we can look objectively from afar at the destruction caused for many families and to their properties; the damage caused for many households, some of an unbelievable scale and extent, and the destruction of business premises. We have all witnessed the vast infrastructural damage to roads, bridges and sports facilities and seen the loss of livestock and crops suffered by farmers. I pay tribute to the emergency services who worked there 24/7 for a period of days. I also pay tribute to the local authority workers and members of the Defence Forces who did tremendous work.

We cannot forget the many hundreds of volunteers who, and many sporting organisations which, assisted the people in the aftermath of the flooding.

Many promises were made in the days after the flood, as well as numerous assurances by Government representatives. Now that the television cameras and the national media have left, it is time to test the Government's commitment. The promises made on the ground in August should not be lessened in any way. The Government should not renege on them because we will not allow it to do so.

When the local improvement schemes were announced with a blaze of publicity, the Minister of State, Deputy McHugh, told the people of Donegal that 80% of the roads would be covered. Now we find out there is only funding for 4%. A specific additional allocation should have been made for Inishowen, not an allocation with a substitute for the rest of the county. There are hundreds of local authority roads but no funding provided for them. How many of the 4% of those roads which will qualify in Donegal will be in Inishowen? I doubt it will be many.

The Minister of State’s office will make statements about cúntóirí teanglann and an extra €30,000. However, the Department will then say it made a mistake and it should be €28,000 less. There is no joined-up thinking whatsoever. We will hold the Government to account again, but that is for another day and another time.

See this speech in context