Phil Prendergast (Labour)

I join with you, a Leas-Chathaoirleach, in welcoming the Minister to discuss this problem, which is country-wide. I sympathise with the thousands of people throughout the country who have been or will be affected by the ongoing floods. I include those in my county of Tipperary. We have a little more insight than most people into the hardship flooding causes for people. I live in Clonmel, a town in south Tipperary, which unfortunately is synonymous with flooding. We have experienced serious flooding in the town on an almost annual basis in the past few years and there are immediate and long-term effects. I hate to be the bearer of bad news for people in other southern and western counties but it is important the full implications of the effects of flooding are understood by people and made known to the wider public. At a time of crisis, members of the public who are not directly affected are sympathetic, as we have seen in the past week. We have seen people being helpful. I pay tribute to the community spirit evident throughout the county since the flooding started.

What will happen when the cameras stop rolling? Life will not return to normal for victims of the floods. The smell of stale water and sewage will linger for months. Solid wood floors will be warped and will have to be replaced. Some concrete floors will be so wet that dehumidifiers will be needed at considerable expense before new flooring can be laid. Carpets and furnishings must be thrown out. As we saw on television last night, councils are taking away furniture that has been destroyed. Even after dehumidifying, walls will be stained, even if they are painted, and dampness will set in again. Houses will need extensive electrical work, often full rewiring. Warping and rot will mean some interior walls and even ceilings will need to be rebuilt. Some houses are only fit to be knocked. Consideration may be given to relocating these residents.

I have seen this happen in Clonmel many times, with businesses on the quay being affected. One hotel located there was forced to close. It had a devastating effect on the town because people were worried about access, with many of the bridges and access points cut off such as Convent Bridge, the Gashouse Bridge, the Raheen Road and the Davis Road. People do not realise the problems caused by floods but business really takes a hard knock.

For farmers, the floods have become a nightmare scenario. After an unusually wet year that had played havoc across all sectors of agriculture, the IFA has stated farm incomes have fallen 41% in two years. If the collapse in prices for output this year is not enough, they must witness their livelihoods being washed away before them, as they look on helplessly at land and livestock, often in a state of distress, rendered inaccessible by high flood waters. The fodder harvest was poor this year and maize and beet that farmers should be harvesting now will be ruined or, at best, of poor quality. This is not a matter for politics but the Government must look at the compensation being set aside for farmers, which at €2 million is nowhere near enough.

As well as the financial cost, there is also a human cost. The dampness that will linger in affected homes is a danger to the health of anyone with breathing problems or joint pain. There is also an emotional cost. We are a house-proud nation and people have spent years getting their houses nice. Many had prized items of furniture or heirlooms they had kept in their houses and to see them destroyed is awful for them. It is emotionally scarring to see the work and money put into a home being washed away while not being able to do anything about it. That is one of the elements that is hardest to accept.

The greatest cost will be the fall in the value of the property because it is a flood risk. There are insurance companies which will not give quotations to people from south Tipperary. It does not matter where a person's house is; someone who lives in south Tipperary is seen as a flood risk and, therefore, cannot be given a quotation. Victims of flooding will see their premiums shoot up or, in the worst case scenario, they will be refused insurance entirely.

I pay tribute to Clonmel Borough Council, Civil Defence, the Garda, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, charities and the Defence Forces. Almost 7,000 sandbags were delivered in the south Tipperary area to alleviate the worst effects of the flooding. I mentioned two brave soldiers this morning, Corporal David Aherne and Private Jason Daly, who saved two people from a car. They were waist high in water and very frightened and there is no doubt that they would have been in a far worse situation were it not for the brave efforts of those lads who experienced such terrible conditions.

When we look at what were once rivers, we now see lakes. It is difficult to see where the flooding is and where the river used to be. For those caught in such a situation, when the surface of the water was rough with waves, it was horrific.

Clonmel has experience of flooding to the extent that it has an early warning system, with a data feed from all the tributaries that feed into the Suir. It is computerised and linked with the borough council. The town clerk, Mr. Billy Doyle, and his early response team got together this week with Civil Defence, the HSE and borough councils workers. They were up all night on Sunday night to monitor the situation. Tipp FM and Tipp Mid West Radio did a great job carrying updates people wanted.

I acknowledge those schools that closed because they did not want to put the children or parents at risk because cars going through flooded areas also have an impact on houses in the area, causing a tidal effect. The flooding also causes damage to cars that must be abandoned, putting real pressure on the Fire Brigade when the passengers need help to get out of the floods. The Army was simply superb in dealing with such instances.

The Taoiseach came to Clonmel, visited the Army barracks and went with local representatives to look at areas of the town that were flooded. The number who came out to help, working as good neighbours, was incredible. They were cleaning up and mopping up, taking in others in flooded areas.

Phase 1 of the flood alleviation programme is almost complete in Clonmel; therefore, areas that had previously flooded did not flood this time. While there is such disruption with the flood alleviation programme, €13 million has been invested and the early warning system, in conjunction with the level of experience, meant that people had advance notice. When the programme is finished, we will see a significant improvement but for those I have mentioned who have suffered damage to their property and are suffering ongoing worry about the weather, it is no comfort. The system is now so refined people know to ring for information and put sandbags in place but older people often find it too much to lift sodden sandbags.

The good neighbourliness and the help offered by those involved in the clean up process, Civil Defence and the Army cannot be praised highly enough. We also received extensive help from community gardaí and gardaí in general with traffic management to try to avoid a further impact caused by the flooding. Little solace was taken in Clonmel from the fact that other areas were so badly affected. What we have known for many years in Clonmel is being seen for the first time in these other areas. The devastation that was clear on the faces of those affected was very upsetting because we had felt it ourselves.

We must examine how community welfare officers will assess need. When someone's house is destroyed by a flood, the upset does not go away. To fix it and still be in an area prone to flooding is very distressing. People have made life-changing decisions, having had to move from what may have been their family home all their lives or from one that had a particular impact on them.

I thank the Minister of State for the opportunity to speak about this serious issue today. I reiterate my sympathy to all the families and people who have been so affected by this awful inclement weather.