Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)

I acknowledge the Minister of State's role and that of his predecessor in getting us to the point where the pumps started in March and the very positive impact that has had. As the Minister of State will know, residents living in and around Lough Funshinagh suffered incredibly as a result of the flooding in 2015, 2016 and more recently. They have been surrounded by water for years now. Some families have had to abandon their homes. Those who have remained in the area around Lough Funshinagh deserve incredible credit for what they have done. As a community, they are extremely resilient. They have battled to get to this point where the interim solution has been in put place. However, they want and need to see progress with regard to the permanent solution. That needs to be the priority now. We need to see both running in parallel. I appreciate that the Minister of State did not have the chance to provide it already, but I would like an update on the permanent solution for the residents and the community at Lough Funshinagh.

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