Kathleen O'Meara (Labour)

I second Senator Ryan's amendment to the Order of Business seeking a debate on the interim report of the Flood tribunal. Given that a motion of the Seanad and Dáil established the Flood tribunal, it is extraordinary that we have not had an opportunity since the publication of this important report to debate its contents and note the fact that the issues arising are still matters of major concern to the public and us as Members.

I support colleagues on the potential closure of railway lines. More Members than Senators O'Toole and Mooney are passionate about this issue. That is the reason we need an urgent, wide-ranging debate on it. It affects many parts of the country, including my own. It is an outrage given today's environmental and economic concerns as well as the issue of balanced regional development that the Government only pays lip service—