Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ministers of State, Deputies O'Donovan and Peter Burke, for sharing time with me. I also thank the Rural Independent Group for tabling this motion and giving us the opportunity to discuss it. I am pleased its members are present to hear my contribution.

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, for his contribution last night and again this morning when he clearly outlined his Department's position and the progress made, including the increase in the number of schemes from the previous total of 33 to the current figure of 92, and the 22% increase in staffing numbers. It was very welcome to hear his undertaking to an examination in the coming nine months of the Shannon flood risk State agencies co-ordination working group, including a review of the current regulatory environment to inform the establishment of this group on a statutory basis. It is also welcome to hear that my colleague, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, is introducing a scheme to work with the worst affected farmers, including consideration of the relocation of farmyards as an option.

I work with various flood action groups, and in conjunction with the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke; the Minister of State, Deputy Troy; and Deputy Cowen on the Save our Shannon group. They spoke at length to the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, last night about various pinch points. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, is from Limerick, I am from Portumna and the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, is from Athlone. As Ministers of State we have a vested interest in ensuring a focus is put on the Shannon. I fully appreciate that we cannot solve anything overnight, but we all know that this November the levels in the Shannon are quite high. I urge the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, to do everything within his remit to deal with the issue. It would be greatly appreciated if he could have a conversation with the ESB to address the water levels.

I will work with the Minister of State and give him whatever support I can from Portumna and the constituency of Galway East. I will also work with my Oireachtas colleagues within the constituency, Deputies Canney and Cannon, to ensure there is support across parties and across the Government. As Deputy Connolly said, certain things are above politics and flooding and water are among them. Where we can have straight talking and working together, this is what needs to be done.

I was very taken by the honesty and openness in the speech of the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan. We know him for that. I have seen him as a straight talker for the past four years. He stated: "The current regulatory framework is such that progress by my office in advancing its programme of activities is significantly impacted by a broad range of regulatory requirements which must be addressed and complied with." He is going to bring a memo to the Cabinet outlining the current programme of works that are ongoing, but where he finds there are obstacles it is very important that he is straight with us and tells us what is happening so that we know what to tell people on the ground, in terms of whether the Minister of State is working on an environmental or planning issue. Where consensus is needed in order to progress projects, we must ensure that happens.

Not only am I involved in the Shannon flood group, I am also involved in the N65 action group, which brings us over two different provinces and two different counties. In Portumna, when water floods on the N65 the road must close. It is a national route that brings us all the way to Rosslare. When the road is flooded it means that people from Tipperary cannot come to Portumna and people from Galway cannot go to Tipperary. Sometimes that might be welcome during the hurling season but definitely not due to flooding.

Deputy Canney spoke about flood defences for Kinvara. When the high tides arrive and floods affect Kinvara they hit Galway at exactly the same time, in at the Spanish Arch. Last year we ended up with a number of families being marooned. The high tide flooding is a new occurrence in Kinvara. It goes out as quickly as it comes in but it leaves serious damage and destruction along the way.

There has been progress on the south Galway and Gort lowlands project. We have seen the wonderful impact of the Dunkellin drainage scheme, which involved an investment by the OPW of €8.5 million. The relief that work has been given to the people of Craughwell is what the people of south Galway are now seeking. The simple reason is that when the rain falls in Derrybrien it comes down at such a pace off the Slieve Aughty range. The reason it comes off is because all the forestry is gone off that range. In the past, some of the water was held on the leaves but that is no longer the case. The water comes right down onto the people of Kilbeacanty and into Peterswell, down into Cartymore and Kinvara where it leaves a trail of destruction.

Like my other colleagues in east Galway I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, to come and see it, but I do not want him to come when the flooding is at its height because we have had so many people come in the past. I would like him to come and meet the people when we do not have the flooding. He must tell us exactly what the Department's plan is, and how we can assist him because people are tired of chat after an event. People want to have the conversation and the Minister of State should bring them with him.

People want to come with the Minister of State on this journey and we want to see solutions. There is no point in me jumping up and down when we have an emergency looking to put in the diggers in Kinvara. I would prefer to know our pathway and our flows in advance of that.

I wish the Minister of State well in his work because it is a challenging time from a climate and biodiversity point of view. I compliment the work the OPW does. My dad worked for the OPW for 42 years, meaning I have a real vested interest in it. The men and ladies in the county council on the ground do significant work and are always there when we need them. The Minister of State is proactive. He needs to get out in front of this, allow us to come in behind him and support him. That is the sort of Minister of State he is. It would be really welcome, not just in Galway but right across the whole Shannon catchment area.

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