Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I formally express my deep dissatisfaction at the absence tonight of the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. In fairness, the Minister of State, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan, who is familiar with the issues, informed me of his unavailability. However, not one of the other two Ministers in that Department has attended this evening. Such absences are becoming a worrying trend in this Government. Two weeks ago, when I tabled a motion discussing the struggles of farmers in the Shannon Callows, none of the three agriculture Ministers was available to take the matter either. It is totally unacceptable that six Ministers across two Departments are absent for discussions on urgent matters regarding the impact of flooding in south County Roscommon. I would ordinarily insist on postponing this debate, but the communities around the Shannon Callows and Lough Funshinagh cannot afford to wait. Today, Lough Funshinagh's water level is 330 mm higher than on this day in 2020. Later that winter, the village of Ballagh nearly flooded. The community around Lough Funshinagh and the Shannon Callows faces anxiety with each weather report predicting rain.

Four years ago, €7 million was allocated by the then Minister of State, Kevin "Boxer" Moran, to alleviate flooding on the River Shannon between Meelick Weir and Athlone by removing a number of pinch points that were impeding the flow of the river and leading to the retention of waters north of Lough Derg. We are still awaiting the appointment of an ecological consultant to commence the necessary environmental study. The people of the Shannon Callows cannot wait indefinitely. Last year, the ongoing issue of Lough Funshinagh reached a critical point and the Minister of State, Deputy O’Donovan, approved funding for a new planning process.

However, as of last month, while surveys and investigations have advanced, according to a Dáil reply that I received, difficulties in procuring environmental consultancy services due to market conditions have stalled progress. Some surveys are under way, but we still await the formal appointment of consultants to progress this project to the planning stage. The Lough Funshinagh overflow pipe and the Shannon Callows excavation require complex environmental assessments, but progress is being hindered without the necessary expertise. The Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, attributes this to market conditions, which favour private projects with deeper pockets and simpler assessment. As a consequence, communities across south County Roscommon live in fear of the next rainfall warning. Funding is not an issue, as the OPW has a €1.3 billion budget for approximately 100 flood projects. The inability to source environmental experts puts more than 10,000 Irish families at risk due to delays in flood plan implementation, as seen at Lough Funshinagh and on the Shannon Callows. The main delays include protracted waits for planning permission, which we now hope will be addressed with the forthcoming planning Bill. However, the projects at Lough Funshinagh and the Shannon Callows are not even at that stage, as is the case with many more similar projects. We urgently need surveyors and specialised staff to design effective schemes. The ecological complexities often require detailed analysis to comply with both EU and national environmental laws.

I propose that the Office of Public Works directly employ key environmental personnel for flood relief projects like those at Lough Funshinagh and the Shannon Callows. In addition, we should reach out to experienced professionals who emigrated during the recession and have since gained valuable experience abroad. Offering permanent contracts within the OPW would address their concerns about job stability and tenure and signal the Government is committed to delivering these projects.

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