Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for coming to the House today. I accept that he may not have the same level of detailed knowledge as the Aire Stáit on this matter. If he cannot answer a question I would be happy for him to come back to me on it. One issue I know is close to the Minister's heart and which we spent many a long hour in rooms together discussing is the voluntary home relocation scheme. I thank the Minister for his help in getting that scheme established. After the flooding we saw last winter, in the last few months I have come across three families which had been flooded previously in 2015-16. In one case, the local authority was unaware that the family had previously been flooded. The other two families had hoped that the mitigation measures on the River Shannon would address their need to relocate, but they have not. That scheme has now been closed and it would be helpful if that could be revisited and a small bit of flexibility granted for some of those families that were caught out in 2015-16.

When the Minister and I discussed the voluntary home relocation scheme we also looked at two other issues. One was the introduction of an individual home protection scheme where individual home protections would be far more successful than people having to actually move. There were a number of pilots for that but the scheme has not yet got off the ground. I ask the Minister to provide me with an update on it.

The other issue we discussed was the voluntary farmyard relocation scheme, which was also committed to at the time. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine was to look into it and my fear is that he is still looking into it. When I questioned him on it this time last year, he said the Department was still considering it. We have had two 100-year floods within the catchment area of the River Shannon, in 2009-10 and 2015-16, and there was very severe flooding again last winter. A number of farmyards that are vulnerable to flooding need to be protected or relocated. I ask the Minister to ensure that particular scheme is expedited.

I also ask the Minister to update the House on the progress of a number of active schemes. As he knows, €8.6 million has now been committed to a flood relief scheme for the town of Ballinasloe. Consultants have been appointed to look at flood defence walls and embankments, at increasing the flow capacity of the east bridge in the town, at constructing two lock gates on the canal and at the maintenance of the channel. I ask the Minister to update me on where that scheme is at. I also seek an update on the scheme in Athlone, particularly for the Bogginfin area just north of the town where flood relief measures are to be introduced. Consultants have been appointed but there does not seem to be any progress on it. Similarly, when will consultants be appointed for the flood relief scheme in Roscommon town? I ask the Minister to update me on some of those issues if possible.

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