Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On the Deputy's question, which was initially a straight one on emergency powers, the OPW and local authorities do not have emergency powers to expedite schemes arising from damage caused by flooding events and all schemes must meet regulatory and planning requirements. Works for flood relief schemes on an emergency basis were attempted and the Deputy mentioned Lough Funshinagh in County Roscommon, where it was tried. That resulted in a court challenge and showed what an extremely difficult route it was to pursue this. However, the Minister for housing is reviewing the legislation to see if any changes can be made. It should be borne in mind that even with a change in the law, even in an emergency, environmental laws would still apply.

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