Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)

The Senator referred to the south Galway flooding. I had personal experience when I was a lobbyist for farmers in the area and more recently as Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW. I did not initiate the schemes and was never down there launching any of them; I must correct the Senator on that point.

However, the three main criteria for any flood scheme are that engineering must offer a solution to the difficulty; that it must be environmentally friendly; and that it must be cost effective. There must be a cost-benefit ratio. Unfortunately, only one of the schemes in the area fulfilled all those criteria and some fellow Galway constituents downstream, who, perhaps like the Senator, choose to raise major objections despite the view of the OPW experts, will cause us grief. Their concerns were sufficiently strong to cause the scheme not to go ahead. That is the unfortunate reality and there was very little more that I could do.

I was upset that the Senator chose to make a personal attack on the Tánaiste, Deputy Harney, and I am delighted that Senator Mooney supported her. I spent time in her company on those visits and the lengths to which she went to meet practically all the patients and staff throughout the hospitals were extreme. She got a great deal of good feedback and mine was very positive too. It is unfortunate that the Senator took such a vitriolic view.

Senator Coghlan referred once again to the importance of value for money in the inventory of State assets. That is ongoing and the OPW sold over €100 million in property last year. This year it is our target to sell off another €100 million in property superfluous to normal use by the State. I agree with the Senator's comments on Killarney National Park. I would like it to be my political responsibility, but that is an issue for better heads. Perhaps common sense will prevail in that case.

Senator Paddy Burke also referred to PPPs. They are not on the back-burner and will be implemented. We are moving forward and will have several of them. Roads suit PPPs where tolls are a feature, but the decentralised offices and headquarters of the Department of Education and Science, the Department of Agriculture and Food, the Department of Social and Family Affairs and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government will all be PPPs too. As I said, the national conference centre is reaching the final stages of competition.