Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In his earlier contribution, the Deputy asked me to meet, to be upfront and straight and to resolve issues. I can commit to two of those things. I commit to meetings and to be upfront and straight. The Deputy knows me long enough to understand that.

As for the resolution of the issue, flooding on the Shannon predates the foundation of the State. It is a slow-moving river and we all know the issues associated with it. We know where communities, man-made obstacles and agricultural land have interfaced with the Shannon. The river flows through my constituency, albeit in a different context through the estuary. It is a highly complicated body of water, running from Cavan to Kerry.

The Deputy is absolutely right that people have been inundated over the past number of years and terrible devastation has been foisted upon them. Over the past nine weeks, I have seen seven major flood events. They are happening more frequently and we must contend with the reality of the rate at which our climate is changing. The Deputy, and other Deputies, can support me on this. Our regulatory and policy platform has not changed as rapidly as it should have to take into account the changing environmental considerations. Deputies will agree with me when I say that the regulations, directives and legislation which control the manner in which we can deal with flood events frustrates, to varying degrees, the process by which we can respond to people. It might sound like passing the buck but the reality is that the powers available to the Houses of the Oireachtas have been set out under several items of legislation.

Deputy Cowen asked if I would meet the relevant parties and I have no problem doing that. Farming organisations have already been in touch with me and I intend to go to Offaly, Galway, Westmeath and that part of the Shannon basin as quickly as I can over the next couple of weeks. I had hoped that the Deputy might be available to join me because he is right and I do want to see it first-hand. We need to have an honest, upfront and clear discussion in this House and the Upper House about how our policy, legislative and regulatory platform is designed to cope with these kinds of events, which are becoming more frequent.

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