Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Over recent weeks we have seen various Ministers, including the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, our Taoiseach and our Tánaiste in different parts of the country where there has been serious flooding, where people have lost their businesses or are in deep trouble and where householders have been flooded out of it, never to get insurance again. We have seen this in Midleton, Wexford and Louth and saw it in Galway yesterday. I saw the Chief Whip in Galway yesterday - unfortunately, with people crying over what was happening. We have also seen that in Lough Funshinagh, County Roscommon, the pumps are on once again and the people are very nervous.

I will be very clear on this. I welcome the announcement by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Government of the increased funding of €70,000 and the help being given. I also welcome what the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, said in the announcement he made last week about the River Shannon Callows. I hope he brings that out to the Little Brosna and the River Suck as well.

These are the facts, however. The Minister talked about honesty earlier, and I will speak honestly to him. In 2015, for the people in Lough Funshinagh, the flood started to come up. One house has been knocked already. That happened eight years ago exactly, heading to nine. The pumps are there today, and by February or March, if the rain amounts continue as is, they will be in trouble and more houses will be lost. The slatted sheds are full of water already.

I heard the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, yesterday. To be fair to all Ministers, their hands are in chains with the amount of legislation around them. That is being honest about it. When the Minister, Deputy Ryan, wanted to bring in emergency legislation here relating to the jet engines when we were in danger of running out of power, he was able to do so fairly rapidly and we were able to get it through fairly quickly to make sure our country would have power. Unfortunately, people do not seem to matter as much because we are not able to bring in similar legislation now. With the former legislation, environmental impact assessments, EIAs, appropriate assessments and all the palaver of the habitats directive could be set aside because it was an emergency. The definition of an emergency under the EU habitats directive is a big problem. It should be borne in mind that Lough Funshinagh is in trouble. There are two pumps and another to come tomorrow. The slatted sheds are gone already, and this is early in the year. Generally, it is March or April. I am fully aware of the situation of the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan. We need heavy hitters to go to Europe. We need to get the definition of an emergency. Is someone who will lose his or her house in March not an emergency? When the works are done to 200 m in Roscommon rather than nine years trying to get works done-----

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