Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Recently, we had a meeting in County Kerry regarding the River Cashen. I want to explain why the meeting was held. It was held because of the proposed cessation of the national arterial drainage programme, the programme that engages the OPW to maintain waterways and sluice gates and prevent land from flooding. If we do what we want to do with the River Cashen, thousands of acres of fertile and useful farmland would become flooded. There is also the matter of 650 houses that would be affected. The Government is not thinking of those type of things at all.

I am glad to represent Castlemaine and hold a clinic there on a monthly basis. Constituents have told me what they think of Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and, of course, the Greens. They know what the Government is proposing to do. I am very glad of the OPW in County Kerry and thank it for the work it has done over decades in maintaining rivers, streams and waterways. The overflow goes from all the way from Castlemaine to Castleisland. It is proposed to flood all of those areas if it the Government does what it wants to do, which is to stop the programme. I want to condemn it in the strongest possible way and remind it of what I said earlier today. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have lost rural Ireland. The Greens never had it, and that is it.

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