Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to co-sponsor such an important and relevant Bill with my colleagues today. Flooding is not an uncommon phenomenon. Instead, due to a lack of action and joined-up thinking it has become a common experience for many. The issue at hand is how we deal with our waterways and how we work to prevent the flooding of our towns, villages, farmlands and businesses. As we continue to fight the issue of climate change, all the while hearing about the effects of rising sea levels and how flooding will only become a bigger issue, it must be met with nothing short of action, and timely action, rather than more kicking the can further down the road.

In my home county of Clare, as recently as February we have seen many households and farmlands destroyed or severely impacted due to flooding. One man in Clonlara was quoted as saying "I am living in hell". For him it has become a very common life event. While many people have commented on the ways we can tackle flooding along the River Shannon, I believe that one of the most glaringly obvious issues facing us is the lack of a river management agency for the river. Each time we hear of flooding we hear how blame should be apportioned across Waterways Ireland, the OPW, the local authorities and the ESB - the list goes on and on. That is where the problem lies. No one is truly accountable or responsible. If this does not show clearly that we have a problem, I do not know what will.

The River Shannon is Ireland's longest river. It passes through 11 counties, which means 11 different local authorities have responsibilities. There are 20 agencies in total, some of which I mentioned already, with responsibilities with regard to the river. Does this make sense? All of them are trying to work towards a common goal but are working independently of each other. All the agencies request funding but not all are quite sure what the end goal is. We need a River Shannon management agency within the Office of Public Works. We need to ensure we have a collective of the right people from across the relevant State bodies to properly implement a strategy for the River Shannon.

During my discussions with those people who are affected by flooding, they have made it quite clear that the lack of proper engagement with communities is striking and has not gone unnoticed. One lady made it quite clear to me that people find the lack of public representation on the Shannon flood risk State agency co-ordination working group as being glaring. She spoke about the fact that this body meets just twice per year, and only once so far in 2020, discussing issues but not engaging with the local people who are directly affected and who have the most knowledge of the area and the impact flooding has on them.

Has the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, met with this co-ordination group since taking up his new role? Does the group have a winter plan for 2020? We are just coming into the most at-risk time of year and we are not sure if we have a plan.

While it is welcome that the group is in place, it shows why we need a strong State agency with a statutory footing to take control of the river and effectively plan to ensure we battle this flooding now. These people are living in fear. They are not sure when a heavy rainfall will lead to the next flood, whether they will be able to get to work the following morning if the roads are flooded, or whether their SNAs can approach their houses to continue with their work. They cannot insure their homes as they are considered at risk. Can the Minister of State imagine being in that situation and not being able to get home insurance because of something that is completely outside his control? These people are facing the winter knowing there is a great chance that they and their families will spend weeks on end separated into different hotel rooms, stripped of any autonomy to even make a meal for themselves or their children. These families are traumatised by the experience of flooding and the ordeal and the stress they have had to endure. It would take some time to relay all that information to the Minister of State because it is quite extensive.

We need to ensure the work undertaken to mitigate flooding is done on a collective basis and that any work undertaken upstream does not adversely affect areas further down the river basin. I strongly encourage the Government to support this Bill, not to put a nine-month delay on it, and to see that a River Shannon management agency is set up without delay. We need a commitment to ensure this flooding does not happen again and we must offer the people affected some decent standard of living. They should not be constantly living in fear of flooding or having their livelihoods literally washed away. These people have spoken extensively to me and have informed me of the damage their properties have endured, for which they get no support. People in this particular area have not been approved for the home relief scheme. They are left on their own and it is an absolutely horrible situation for them.

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