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

I congratulate the Taoiseach on his election. It is a huge honour for him and his family. It is scary to think that over two decades ago I did a public meeting for a young man out in Greystones when I was the Fine Gael spokesperson on transport. I actually did one as well for another young man in the north inner city of Dublin, who happens to be here in the House, the Minister, Deputy Donohoe. Both of them have come a very long way since then. I congratulate Deputy Harris on his appointment as Taoiseach.

I also take this opportunity to wish Deputies Varadkar and Coveney well. I worked with both of them on the Fine Gael Front Bench in opposition and in government. I thank them for the public service that they have given to this country. In particular, I believe their commitment and dedication to addressing the challenges faced by this country as a result of Brexit will be the most significant legacy they leave. I thank them most sincerely for their efforts in that regard.

I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate my neighbour across the river, Peter Burke, and down the river, Patrick O’Donovan who I worked with very closely on the issue of Lough Funshinagh. It is a great personal honour for both of them. It is a great political honour to serve in government and I wish both of them well in their new roles.

While I am on the topic of Lough Funshinagh, when I spoke to the Taoiseach last week I highlighted the anxiety faced by the communities around Lough Funshinagh and south Roscommon with the increased water levels they face and the increased risk of flooding. Since that conversation last week, overnight another two family homes have had pumps installed to stop those homes from flooding in another village in the vicinity of Lough Funshinagh. We are now in a critical situation on this. Several homes are only keeping the water out due to temporary measures such as sandbags and round-the-clock pumping. At a meeting with the residents last night, Deputy Fitzmaurice and I were told that when the pump failed for half an hour, the water reached the doorstep of one of those families. That is how critical this situation is at the moment. I want to commend Roscommon County Council, the Minister, Deputy O’Donovan, and the team at the Office of Public Works on the efforts they have been making to defend those properties. The difficulty is that defence cannot continue for another 12 months. The water levels in Lough Funshinagh have reached an unprecedentedly high level and have surpassed the previous records of 2016 and 2021. Roscommon County Council tells me that predictions from Geological Survey Ireland have flagged this particular alarming trend. It believes that this trend will continue year on year and that it shows no signs of reversing whatever. Roscommon County Council has stated in black and white, in a note I presented to the Taoiseach, that without intervention it is anticipated that four homes will be permanently lost next winter. Emergency legislation must be brought through this House to allow for the implementation of an immediate temporary solution, involving the controlled removal of water from Lough Funshinagh into the River Shannon. It is critically important that this emergency legislation is brought through this House before the summer recess. I hope the Taoiseach, the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and the Tánaiste will ensure that is delivered. It is critically important that we get such action before those four homes are lost.

I want to raise one other issue with the Taoiseach, namely long Covid. I have here an email from a member of staff within the HSE whose illness benefit will cease on 1 July. Even though she has been off work for a considerable period with long Covid - her colleagues who are out longer are still on full pay - she will have to apply for disability allowance from 1 July. She went in and worked on the front line through the most difficult times we have had in this country and the most difficult challenges that we have had in our health service. It is imperative that we do not turn our backs on front-line health workers in this country who are experiencing long Covid.

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