Jim Higgins (Fine Gael)

I asked my Department to authorise practical projects to alleviate flooding that could be implemented at short notice. One such project was undertaken at Belcar, County Galway, near the home of the former Minister of State and Senator, Mark Killilea, where roads had been flooded for 20 years. In fairness to the Office of Public Works, it quickly did the necessary work. Within three hours of the completion of the project, I was to be given the honour of donning a helmet, rather like Senator O'Rourke in relation to the Luas light rail project, to remove the last scoop with the JCB, but I was told it could not be done because of European Union regulation regarding the preservation of the grasshopper. I gave instructions to proceed regardless and nothing was said afterwards.