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

To take Deputy Naughten's question first, "yes" is the simple answer and "I do not know" is the other part of the answer. We have engaged with the NPWS. We cannot talk about Lough Funshinagh without talking about the special area of conservation. The first of the climate migrants in County Roscommon have left their homes. People talked about climate migration in this Dáil yesterday like something that was just happening in the northern Sahara. It is happening in our own country.

To go back to Deputy Ó Murchú's point, I would prefer if the language could change around this issue, moving away from flood risk to talk about climate adaptation. The processes we are facing at the moment are incredibly tortuous. We will need all Deputies' help when the planning Bill comes before the Dáil. That Bill is not my responsibility but I certainly will be throwing my eye over it in the hope that it will address some of the stuff we have had to deal with in the last number of years where a person in County Donegal can object to something in County Wexford; all this erroneous sort of stuff needs to be done away with. The strategic infrastructure that Deputy Mairéad Farrell questioned the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, about a while ago will just become pie in the sky if we do not address the fundamentals around this. We all have an obligation in that.

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