Dáil debates

Wednesday, 4 November 2020

Flood Prevention Policies: Motion [Private Members]

 

10:10 am

Photo of Carol NolanCarol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent) | Oireachtas source

As a member of the Rural Independent Group, I am delighted to be involved in this motion. I thank the hard-working staff in our offices, including Mairéad McGrath and Brian Ó Domhnaill, for all the great work they have done with this motion.

I am very aware of flooding issues in my constituency of Laois-Offaly. The River Shannon causes flooding issues in areas like Banagher, Lusmagh, Shannonbridge, Shannon Harbour, Clonmacnoise and other surrounding areas. The River Brosna causes flooding in Riverstown and Birr. In County Laois, the River Owenass has caused much destruction to businesses and properties in Mountmellick in recent times. I am aware of this issue. We need urgent action. It cannot be left any longer.

A far greater degree of clarity is required on when the strategic programme of maintenance and removal of constrictions or pinch points on the bed of the River Shannon at the callows region between Athlone and Meelick Weir will commence. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has confirmed to me that progression of these works will be subject to full environmental assessments and that planning consent is required before they can proceed. I sincerely hope the environmental assessments are not a cop-out. We have to ensure this is not a desktop review. There must be consultation with farm owners, landowners and property owners about this because the EU habitats directive is often enforced in a very unbalanced way and is abused and misused. We do not need any excuses. We need action, pragmatism and common sense to be enforced to ensure measures are put in place.

I have some specific questions arising from our motion that I want to put to the Minister of State this morning. I wish to seek clarity from him. Perhaps he can respond to my questions in written form, or directly to me this morning. Is the conveyancing of the River Shannon still going to take place, as agreed in 2019? Was planning permission sought in respect of the conveyancing of the River Shannon? Can he provide me with an update on this? Will work on two pinch points, at Shannon Grove and Derryholmes, be prioritised because landowners are telling me that is where the real problems are along the River Shannon? Will flood defences be put in place in Mountmellick? We have heard about them but when will they be put in place? I ask for an update on that.

I commend the many groups that have been very active on the flooding issue over the years. The Save Our Shannon group, which is based in west Offaly but also has members in Athlone and Galway, has done fantastic work to highlight this whole issue. We need to ensure, out of fairness, that we are hearing what they are saying to us and that actions are taken here. I appeal to the Minister of State to accept this motion. We are listening to the people on the ground, the farmers, the property owners and the business representatives who are appealing to us, as political representatives, to bring all of the issues raised in our motion to his attention. We are appealing to him to take them on board. We will work constructively with him. We need to ensure we have a commitment from him.

I also ask the Minister of State for a definite start date on work on the pinch points, particularly those I have mentioned along the River Shannon at Shannon Grove and Derryholmes. We need to definite commitments on those.

As I want to be positive here this morning, I acknowledge the existing provision of €1 billion in the national development plan to deal with flood relief issues. It is an indication of some commitment. Again, we need to see action. People are disillusioned and disheartened. It is very distressing for people. It causes great upset when their homes, lands or businesses, which they have worked hard all their lives to build up, are destroyed by floods. Let us ensure we put an end to that and we put proper measures in place.

I ask the Minister of State to accept what we are saying in the motion. We are in touch with the people on the ground constantly, as is the Minister of State. I ask him to embrace what we have set out in the motion.

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