Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I assured the House earlier and also assured the Oireachtas committee the Deputy referred to that no capital schemes will be delayed. Some of them are still subject to planning approval. The Deputy questioned the situation in Athlone. He knows well that the division of Athlone into eight cells was deliberately done to speed up the planning process and to deliver the scheme for the people of Athlone. This has been questioned over the last number of weeks. I do not like it when people play politics with flood defences. I disagree with it. I have stated quite clearly that no schemes will be delayed, at Athlone or anywhere else around the country. If there are delays it will be because of the planning process. I wanted to be on the ground in Cork last summer, and it did not happen. I wanted work in south Ennis to have been commenced last year and it was not. That is out of my control. However, the delivery of schemes I have identified is continuing. We are now in the great situation where 90 schemes have commenced. We are working with local authorities up and down the country. I have visited most of the local authorities. We are providing them with the money to employ engineers. We were spending €2 million on minor works and we have now increased funding by €5.6 million compared to last year. That is a big jump in funding for flooding defences around the country.

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