Claire Kerrane (Roscommon-Galway, Sinn Fein)

I, too, acknowledge the work. It is good to hear that we are on target for planning towards the end of the year. This will be absolutely essential. I am conscious of that as we come into the autumn and winter months. We all know about the winters the families and community around Lough Funshinagh have faced, particularly last winter. It was devastating. There will be a lot of work to be done after the permanent solution is put in place and sorted in terms of people's homes and the damage that has been done. Farmers with lands around the lake have suffered incredibly as well. This has been a real loss and has had a real impact on people, their livelihoods and their families. People have passed away in the meantime. I am thinking of one gentleman who never got the chance to live to see the current solution being put in place. Therefore, we need to ensure that the supports for the families who live in the area are there, whether it is in respect of damage, farmers, land or whatever. We need to see those financial supports for people who have lost a great deal. I am thinking in particular of those who lost their homes as a result of flooding.

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