Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 1: To ask the Taoiseach if his Department is represented on the national emergency response committee; if so, the level at which it is represented; if he is satisfied with the role played by his Department and his Department's representative on the committee in responding to the recent weather crisis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1469/10]

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 2: To ask the Taoiseach if his Department is represented on the national emergency response committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3470/10]

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 3: To ask the Taoiseach the role of his Department in the national emergency response committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12958/10]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together.

My Department was represented on the national emergency response co-ordination committees, established each time on an ad hoc basis, with regard to the two severe weather situations of recent months. The committees were chaired by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government as the lead Department. The committee responding to the flooding crisis included a principal officer from my Department and members of the Government Information Service. The committee responding to the snow and sustained freezing conditions included these officers and an assistant secretary from my Department. I am satisfied with the role they played in both situations.

My Department is specifically nominated in the framework for major emergency response with regard to the co-ordination of information for communication to and through the media. This role was managed by the Government Information Service, which among other activities organised daily briefings for journalists with the relevant Ministers. I am glad to take this opportunity to express once again my and the Government's appreciation of the work of local authorities, the Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive, the Defence Forces, Civil Defence and other statutory bodies, as well as Departments, in responding to the two severe weather events. I am also glad to recognise the very valuable contribution made by voluntary organisations and individuals in providing assistance to their fellow citizens during those events.

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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While I thank the Taoiseach for that reply, I am concerned it shows a disconnect between his perception of the experience Ireland underwent in the period around Christmas and the reality. Is the Taoiseach seriously suggesting the response was satisfactory and that the damage that has been done does not need further investment? What are the lessons that may now be learned from what was, generally speaking, an issue of a loss of confidence among the public that the Government cared? It did not help that the Minister was in another country where there was not such a crisis.

In terms of the lessons learned, does the Taoiseach accept we cannot have a repeat of this in the future? For example, what is he doing to ensure we have adequate supplies of sand and grit? What discussions have been held with the committee and the local authorities to ensure supplies are available, should there be a recurrence of such severe weather? Who convenes this committee? Why was there such an inordinate delay in calling the first meeting of that committee when it was clear to people on the ground, who were experiencing very extreme problems as a result of the weather, that an exceptional response was required from a Government that did not seem to care?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I do not accept that. Flooding arose from exceptional rainfall in a short period following very heavy rainfall throughout the year. Local authorities responded to the emerging position using the co-ordination and inter-agency arrangements set out in the framework for emergency management. As I saw for myself, there was excellent co-operation between local authorities, the Health Service Executive, the Garda Síochána and other statutory agencies and voluntary bodies.

The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has already pointed out to the Joint Committee on the Environment, Heritage and Local Government that his Department was aware of difficulties in areas of County Cork following contact on Thursday, 19 November from an assistant county manager indicating that flooding problems could emerge. He asked the next morning that a national emergency response co-ordination committee be convened, and that meeting was convened at 3 p.m. that day. It met daily initially and on 11 occasions in total in November and December up to 8 December, when it was stood down.

Over €16 million was given to 19 local authorities last December to meet exceptional costs in response to the flooding in their areas and €50 million has been allocated to the Office of Public Works for 2010 flood protection activities. The roads allocation for this year is approximately €411 million. Quite exceptionally and rightly, the Minister for Transport has given full discretion to local authorities to identify or utilise those funds in a way that meets the priorities they set as a result of what has happened over the winter. When one considers the estimated cost is in the region of €180 million in respect of those roads that were identified, the allocation can and should come from that funding. Councils are prioritising those works because this is sensible. If it means other works of a lesser emergency nature need to be deferred for this year, this is what should happen. This was an exceptional situation. I agree people were inconvenienced. However, people worked at community level to address practical concerns. There were many examples of good neighbourliness and local community groups taking action. These are well documented and many people are aware of them from personal experience.

Regarding the question of salt replies, thankfully, the local authorities never ran out of such supplies but one cannot salt every road every day. The maintenance of the main roads was the priority as they carry the majority of road transport. It is the case that rural areas were more affected. However, the local community effort convened to address the situation - as it must because there was such a sudden and widespread problem - and was brought into play.

Issues arise in the context of any emergency situation which need to be addressed and not every issue is covered as would be the case in normal circumstances - this is the definition of an emergency. Local authorities responded in December but the period of inclement weather continued after Christmas and the problem of supplies of salt for the roads became evident. Given the unusual prolongation of the severe weather, the cumulative effects of the extended freeze and the implications of the return to normal activity levels by businesses and schools after the Christmas period, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, whose Department had been monitoring that situation at local level, convened a committee to co-ordinate the multidimensional emergency response. The Department of Transport and the NRA had also been monitoring the roads situation and the two Departments were already engaged in a combined response to the situation.

It has to be borne in mind that the prolonged severe weather was the worst for many years. The co-ordination and emergency plans work on the basis of local co-ordination to deal with local issues. The centralised effort is to do with ensuring there are adequate supplies of the necessary material. The bad weather affected here, Northern Ireland and the UK and there was a significant demand in those jurisdictions for salt supplies. It was a difficult situation but one that was managed quite well in the circumstances, given the amount of salt available and the very considerable amounts needed to be used on the roads daily in the initial stages. However, as the situation became prolonged, the strategy had to be adapted.

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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I agree with the Taoiseach that the community response was magnificent, as indeed was the work of local authorities' staff. The work of the staff of the local authority of my own county of Wicklow was exemplary during very difficult circumstances. Does the Taoiseach accept the reason we did not run out of salt is because the secondary roads were not made passable? When the snows subsequently thawed, we had a serious legacy of impassable roads. The Taoiseach used the term "inconvenienced". Does he agree it is unacceptable that school buses were unable to collect children from school because road surfaces had disappeared and farmers could not get to their cattle? This was the reality faced by people during those times and it needs to be recognised as requiring a proper response instead of a grossly inadequate one. Will the Taoiseach tell the House the shortfall between the amount of money allocated for all road works and the amount of money sought by local authorities to carry out the repairs and the reinstatement of roads, bridges and water supplies?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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On that specific point, county councils have estimated the considerable damage done to part of the road network in various parts of the country came to a total of approximately €180 million. In a year of tight public finances, the Minister allocated €240 million to local authorities, for which they will have full discretion. As the Deputy will be aware from past experience, in normal circumstances various tags are applied to the grants and funds, be they for maintenance or surface dressing, provided by the Department of Transport to local authorities based on the submissions made by the latter as part of the Estimates process. In this situation, the practical response was to forget about the allocation in that respect for this year because we had an exceptional problem. As a total of €240 million was being allocated to local authorities and the amount of money they believed they required to solve the problem was €180 million, our solution was to give them full discretion. That would mean enabling them, where a road had broken up or a major problem had arisen, to solve the problem as an emergency while deferring for the year fresh surface dressings planned on roads that may have been dressed five or six years ago. The condition of the latter roads would not be as bad as those affected by frost.

By being given full discretion, local authority members had sufficient money to prioritise repairs required because of the exceptional nature of the freeze and the flooding. In my locality and elsewhere, I am glad to say, they are using that discretion. The public fully accepts that, for example, expected maintenance work on roads in parts of my county will not proceed because other roads closer to the Shannon were completely overrun and have to be repaired as a matter of urgency. This is being done.

Giving local authorities discretion is preferable to handing out allocations in the usual way and then trying to find money we do not have to deal with the problem, which would have been a rather ineffective way of proceeding. The best way of using resources is to give that discretion to the local authorities.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Did the emergency response committee discuss whether the ability of local authorities to deal with the flooding and the freeze was impaired by the ban on local authority recruitment? Local authority workers are already under pressure because of the jobs embargo, pay cuts and, in many cases, overtime bans. Last April, the local authority professional officers branch of SIPTU stated that the overtime ban and recruitment embargo would potentially have a devastating impact on professional engineers and other local authority employees engaged in the production and distribution of drinking water and protection of existing water quality. We saw an indication of this during the emergency. The branch also pointed out that temporary engineers were let go due to the ban on renewing temporary contracts.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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Has the Deputy a question?

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I ask the Taoiseach whether he is aware of this issue and if the emergency response committee considered it. If we are to experience another emergency, we will be relying on these very grades and people. What was the committee's response to the issue of public health and safety of our water supplies, which are threatened because of the shortage of engineers? Experienced engineers are retiring and temporary engineers are not being retained. This threat is not solely the result of the recent emergency and would arise again in the event of another crisis.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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To the credit of local authority workers and front line staff, certain industrial relations issues were deferred, postponed or disregarded for the duration of the emergency. We were all grateful for that and it showed the civic-mindedness and good public-spiritedness of workers who simply sought to help neighbours as well as doing their job. That was indicative of the overall community spirit in areas of particular difficulty and efforts to ensure no problems or industrial relations issues that might arise in the context of an ordinary situation would impinge upon the effectiveness or availability of qualified staff to alleviate hardship where possible. That should be placed on the record.

I refer to the question of the effects of the moratorium, which was necessary in an effort to control public expenditure. We have the prospect of dealing with some of those issues now in the event of the ratification of agreements which were concluded overnight. This is a public sector wide agreement. The sectoral arrangements in place will enable a redeployment mechanism to exist that will overcome many issues in this respect.

I refer to the question of water supply. There has been a great investment in the past ten years in the improvement of water services and the provision of water infrastructure. We are aware of the effects on reservoir levels and the provision of safe water as a result of the exceptional level of flooding in some areas. The public notification of difficulties was taken up and communicated in a competent way. People were aware of the dangers in particular areas. Efforts were made through mobile means such as tankers etc. to supply people. Some communities were in an exceptionally difficult position not only in terms of drinking water, but in terms of sanitary services in their homes for days and, in some cases, weeks. The local co-ordinating emergency response used the local knowledge and expertise available. People met and worked on a daily and hourly basis to alleviate what would otherwise have been a very difficult situation for communities. There was an ability to cope and to deal with the situation despite very serious pressure on service needs in many areas. I acknowledge that many people had to put up with a less than optimum service because there was a time period during which people had to get in, sort out pumps, bring back electricity to public supply systems and enable water to be put back on call and back into the system. It is important to acknowledge all of this.

The Deputy may well point to a situation which, were we in different times, could have been dealt with in the way he has suggested but given our circumstances economically and financially, the response to the difficulties we had during that period was exemplary in all cases. I am not aware of any area where there was a less than civic or community-minded response. Credit is due to everyone for this, including many of the voluntary services as well as those in the statutory services.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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I will take a brief supplementary question from Deputy Ó Snodaigh.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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It will be brief. What lessons have been learned such that we can deal with any further emergency in terms of water supplies? I refer to the salt and grit levels. Have stocks been fully replenished and has there been a full evaluation of whether the size of the supplies and the stock on hand is large enough to deal with another bad winter? What steps have been taken to ensure this is the case? No criticism of local authorities or voluntary services was intended in my earlier question. The question was whether we could deal with another crisis in terms of water if the engineers were not available because of the public service embargo.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I did not suggest that there was an implied criticism by the Deputy in respect of any of the efforts being made. I just made the point that perhaps the agreement, subject to ratification, could form the basis upon which a greater degree of redeployment will be possible. I refer to the flexibility that will be needed, quite apart from the obvious flexibility in emergency situations to which I have already referred. The structural changes that could be envisaged as a result of a ratification of the agreements reached would greatly assist in covering particular service needs to which the Deputy would refer under existing arrangements.

On the question of salt supplies, local authorities generally maintain ten days' supply for gritting the priority roads and in most years such a stock is more than adequate. It will be necessary for the Department of Transport and local authorities to consider the costs and benefits of maintaining a supply to sustain gritting work for a longer period. Extra stocks of salt and the necessary storage facilities would cost extra and this must be measured against anticipated requirements.

The question of harnessing community effort by, for example, local authorities supplying salt to local communities and business partners can be examined. Another area that will be considered is the question of householders and businesses in urban areas clearing snow and ice from footpaths outside their premises without incurring a legal liability which might expose them to claims for negligence. The Department of Transport has a review group looking at all of these matters, and covering both the flooding and the cold weather period.

On the question of water services and water conservation, there is a number of issues that arise from which lessons can obviously be learnt during this period of which we speak. Much of the problem during the cold weather arose from people letting water run continuously from fear of pipes freezing. That is not an acceptable practice. Freezing can be avoided by good insulation of pipes. There is much work that can and should be done. The emphasis on energy efficiency and savings in that area using existing schemes, some of which are directed to local authority estates, would all give an opportunity for county councils to think creatively about how they can ensure that some of these practical problems are avoided in the future.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I have two questions for the Taoiseach, primarily following on our experience of flooding in Cork on 19 November last. I agree with what he had to say about the response by local authority workers and many voluntary organisations, which, in some cases, was heroic. However, there are lessons to be learnt.

Will the Taoiseach commission an independent inquiry into the flooding of Cork city at that period? There has been an internal inquiry in the ESB. There have also been reports by Cork City Council and Cork County Council, and the all-party Oireachtas committee is looking at it. However, the Taoiseach's Ministers and backbenchers in Cork have supported calls for an independent expert inquiry into how the flooding occurred and how we can ensure, through management of water flows through Inniscara dam, in particular, and further upstream, we can reduce the likelihood of it recurring. Everyone agrees that the 540 tonnes of water a second coming through the dam at its peak during the flood period is what caused most of the damage in Cork city. Will there be an independent inquiry? The Minister of State, Deputy Kelleher, in particular, has been vocal on this issue?

A failing occurred with regard to the information flow between the ESB and Cork City Council and, most importantly, between those bodies and the public. Technology provides interesting solutions which are being adopted elsewhere, in particular, in the UK in a number of towns where flooding is a problem. The Office of Public Works has recently begun a tendering process to examine a new system whereby people could be warned via mobile telephone about flooding. However, the tender is limited to flooding. Has the national emergency response committee discussed broadening the response to include other emergencies? Will the Taoiseach consider broadening it to general emergency responses?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Office of Public Works is the lead agency for dealing with flooding problems. It has had much success with considerable investment, approximately €150 million over the past several years, in flood relief projects.

Regarding what further matters need to be examined as to what happened in Cork in November, as Deputy Coveney said, consideration is being given by the Oireachtas environment committee to various reports and the internal reports from the Cork local authorities. There is also a Lee Valley catchment area review to be done by the Office of Public Works to see what occurred in November. While I am not as familiar with the events as the Cork Deputies would be, the November floods there were regarded as an unusual event to have taken place. However, in no way should that minimise the reality for the people on the ground as a result of what happened.

Lessons will be sought to be learned from the events. As to whether any further investigation is warranted, we should await the outcome of the ongoing considerations. A similar question addressed to the line Minister would provide a more accurate and detailed response to this as I do not have the information requested before me.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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During the recent severe weather emergencies, there was talk for a while on local and national radio about getting the Army to help out. Does the Taoiseach believe the Army should have been brought out in certain cases during the flooding in November and the frosts in January? What lessons have been learned from these events?

In his reply to Deputy McManus, the Taoiseach referred to the damage done by frost to the road network. The Wexford local authority claims it is not getting adequate funding to restore its road infrastructure to the condition it was in before these events. Some roads in County Wexford, as a result, are impassable. I know from speaking to colleagues from other parts of the country that their road networks are in a similar state.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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These questions should be directed to the relevant Minister.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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A Cheann Comhairle, in all fairness the Taoiseach raised some of these matters in his reply to which I am responding. The Taoiseach comes from a rural constituency himself so will be aware of the importance of the rural road network. Has he any comment to make on the condition of the rural road network?

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Army is always available to assist the civic authorities where called upon and available. In many parts of the country in which the Army was required during the flooding, it was very good at sand-bagging operations and arranging preventive measures at danger points in many towns at risk of flooding from their rivers. I saw all of these actions taking place. Where its assistance was sought by a local emergency co-ordination committee, it provided personnel and did an excellent job. It was also an opportunity for the wider civil community to recognise the Army's professionalism in all that it does. I always have been impressed by how training, discipline and effectiveness are brought to bear on situations I have seen at first hand. It is commendable.

Regarding the roads, in exceptional situations such as this, local authorities estimated a sum of €180 million, subject to further assessment. Some €240 million was provided by the Department of Transport to be used by local authorities with their full discretion. My understanding from my area is that, on a cross-party basis, councillors were anxious to ensure the money went to those roads this year, even if it meant deferring other improvement works in other parts of the county through projects that were not of the same magnitude of importance in terms of providing a basic road network in those areas. That work has been deferred, which is sensible. We all know there is no money and when one does not have money, one must use what is there to best effect. That is a case of local authorities using their local know-how and local engineers accurately assessing where the real need exists in the course of this year. Some of these areas are coastal areas and require particularly quick attention because of the impact of frost and severe cold on the passibility of some of these roads. Not every problem can be solved overnight. Many of the more serious ones are being attended to because of the discretion being applied to spending allocations.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Does the Taoiseach agree the Minister for Transport let down the people of Ireland by not returning from holidays to have a more hands-on approach to the big freeze?

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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I ask Deputy Bannon to put a question. Imparting information is not allowed during Question Time.

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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He asked a question.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The people of Ireland feel they were left down because there was inadequate salt and many issues were not addressed at that juncture. Does the Taoiseach agree the recruitment embargo on outdoor staff is seriously affecting the restoration of our county and regional roads? Some roads in the midlands, including in the Taoiseach's area, are still closed because of the big freeze and damage caused by water.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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What roads are closed in my area? Deputy Bannon should name one.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Does the Taoiseach support the establishment of a River Shannon authority to manage the River Shannon? Over 40 bodies have a vested interest in the River Shannon. The Taoiseach must bring these bodies together to manage the River Shannon. That is not happening and all we have from the Government is a proposal to set up a committee to prepare another report. The people of Ireland know we have had too many reports with no action by the Government. I would appreciate the views of the Taoiseach on the River Shannon authority, set up by statute to deal with this problem once and for all in the midlands region.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I thank Deputy Bannon for the close attention he pays to my area as well as his own. I thought he would have been kept busy enough in Longford and Westmeath but I am sure Deputy Enright is delighted to hear Deputy Bannon is down around her country to do a few jobs.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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The Taoiseach let down the people of Longford.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Deputy Bannon should keep it up; he is not making an impact on me.

It is important to point out the work of the committee was done and nothing was left undone as a result of the presence or absence of the Minister for the few days he was on a family holiday. Political capital has been made at this stage. Many prominent Opposition politicians were not around in that period but I have not checked where they were holidaying.

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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The Taoiseach's party is in government.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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The Taoiseach could have left someone in charge.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Being in Government, I ensured I was here for all of that week, as one would expect.

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I did not see the Taoiseach in his waders around the Shannon area.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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Deputy Bannon, please.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I did not head up to that part of the country.

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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The Taoiseach was too busy.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy's idea of water sports differs from mine.

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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The Taoiseach forgot about the people.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy raised an important point on co-ordination of management of the Shannon River, an issue upon which there have been several discussions in the past and one which cannot be easily resolved. The Deputy will be aware there are historical issues in regard to bog development in that area on which the silting impact has been considerable, a problem also not easily resolved.

I recall the former President of the Irish Farmers' Association, IFA, Mr. Tom Clinton, was at that time involved in a major review in regard to whether the Shannon could be drained, a claim often made by politicians of various hues and cries down the years. The problem is that the drop from Athlone to Meelick is only a number of feet. If my memory serves me correctly that drop is not even 15 feet. When one considers the amount of water coming down that type of terrain the surrounding area becomes almost like a saucer. Many land reclamation projects and tributary systems have been undertaken in the area and anyone with a knowledge of it, as I have, knows that if one walks along the Shannon banks and the callows during the summer one will see houses which have not been inhabited for years, some of which are no longer habitable. This is an area in which people lived prior to that land drainage work. The problem is huge.

The suggestion from somebody on the back of a tractor every time a flood occurs that this is a problem that can be easily solved, apart from anything else, is not in line with geological reality.

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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I presume the Taoiseach is not referring to Deputy O'Rourke.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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No, I do not refer to Deputy O'Rourke. There is a particular Deputy, whom I will not name, in that general area who makes a habit of standing on the back of a tractor, on a couple of occasions with Mr. Jim Fahey, bemoaning the fact that we have a flooded Shannon.

Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)
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Much depends on the back of whose tractor one is standing.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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Efforts are being made to try to pull this together. There are various authorities involved, including the local authorities, the OPW and the ESB, which historically had a role in this. The role of the ESB is often questioned by locals in the area in terms of how quickly water is allowed down the river bearing in mind the Ardnacrusha situation. There are as many views on that issue as there are people living in that region. It is an issue with which I am familiar and one that I would like to see improved. I do not believe the solution is to remove from the Shannon River some people who already have responsibility in this area. We must try to pull together in a coherent manner the various interests involved. We must try to see what is possible. The view of some people on draining the Shannon is a little simplistic and does not do justice to the complexity of the issues and interests involved.

I am acutely aware of the problem and I have asked the Minister of State at the Office of Public Works to address this issue in a coherent manner and to revert to me on it.

Séamus Kirk (Louth, Ceann Comhairle)
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I will allow a brief question from Deputy Kenny.

Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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I apologise to the Taoiseach for not being here earlier but I was in the Department of Finance dealing with other matters.

Perhaps I could make a helpful suggestion. Part of the national emergency response is the air-sea marine rescue service. A contract in respect of helicopters will soon be signed with a major international company. Deputy Deasy and other Members from the south-east have raised this matter with me. In view of the helpful comments by the Taoiseach last week on committees being able to do their work, perhaps that process could be considered by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport prior to signing the contract. I suggest this on the basis of Waterford not wishing to be left out in terms of a 24 hour service. There are valid reasons for delivering on that.

I understand the Air Corps is interested in examining what it can provide, in terms of cost efficiency and effectiveness for the State. A letter has been received by the chairman of the Joint Committee on Transport and it would be a very good exercise for politicians from all parties to look at a process like this and be able to do their work before there is a sign-off for a ten year period. It might be possible to deliver projects in a more cost-effective and comprehensive way. I do not know all the details but it would be a very valid exercise for the Oireachtas joint committee and I would like the Taoiseach to give his support to that.

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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On foot of many comments from Deputies on all sides, the Minister, Deputy Dempsey is examining whether there is any way in which he can examine the matter constructively in order to see if there is a way forward. There were questions on transport last week, during which this matter was dealt with in detail. The Minister indicated he is examining whether anything can be done. I do not want to pre-empt his consideration. It is not a question of him not trying to see if there is a way forward.