Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)

The Tánaiste is well aware that a few months ago, at the end of January, there was a devastating storm in the west midlands and the north west. In fairness, the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Healy-Rae, are well familiar with the devastation that has been caused. I know the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, has had meetings with the different communications outfits.

Four months later, however, we see parts of Roscommon and east Galway such as Creggs - I sent the Tánaiste a photo of Creggs this morning - where there are six communication lines for phones. The local people had to get a ratchet strap and tie the pole back. It broke and they had to do it again. This happened four months ago and the pole is still thrown there. Areas like Cloonfad, Ballymoe and a number of other areas are left devastated and without phone lines. It is not about the phone line because in some cases they have gone back and repaired the broadband, but the phone line is a lifeline to the elderly people for when you need your panic button. I know the Minister had meetings with them; I acknowledge that. I ask the Tánaiste and his Government to put the pressure on. I also ask that the communications regulator start taking the finger out to the likes of Eir because they should be ashamed of themselves the way they have treated the people who have been affected in that area.

Following on from that - and I know there are two Ministers here from the Department of agriculture - in Cloonbonniffe, Carrowbehy, the Coney Island area and Gortaganny over the last few weeks a huge amount of forestry has been burned. I know the Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae, has talked about a reconstitution grant for the windblown timber. A great many people had timber over the last few weeks burned. All you can do is cut it down now because it is smothered after the fires. I ask that when the Government brings in the reconstitution grant for those people who have been affected in the last few months, the Government help those people. After 20 years, there is no insurance on most of this. This has been devastating in that area, and I ask the Government to consider under the reconstitution grant what is only a small token of help because these people have lost everything. Whatever about the people in the windblown timber, at least they can try to cut it now and try to get it to sawmills, but where it has got burned, it is destroyed. You basically bring in a woodchipper and try to chip up whatever is there, but they have lost everything. In the coming months, when the Government is doing the reconstitution grants, would it consider trying to include those people along with the windblown timber?

Those are the two items that I ask that the Tánaiste's Government address.

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