Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State. Future flooding is now predictable. It is no longer unpredictable. The fact that it is predictable means that people are extremely vulnerable unless the Government acts responsibly. We all insure our homes and properties against disasters or acts of God. Insurance companies, however, have issued a clear warning that we can no longer say flooding is unpredictable in areas where it has already happened. My county which is also the home of the Minister of State has been devastated. The county manager is quoted in TheIrish Times todayassaying 13,000 square miles of land have been flooded and 65 roads have been closed. That is only a minor number of roads compared with all those that carry "Road Flooded" signs. The Garda was slow to close roads.

We face a mammoth task. I understand €10 million has been allocated but that would not even take care of the damage caused in the Oranmore electoral area which is minor compared with the damage caused in Galway East. I ask the Minister of State to listen to her colleague, Senator O'Brien, who has said this is just a start. This places a huge onus on the Government to find the money needed. I urge it to go to the European Commission to get it, if necessary, because there must be a financial plan in place. I would like to see a commitment given to the House that it would receive a monthly update until the clean up plan has been sorted out because this involves a major short-term issue.

The long-term cost will be the preventive plan because we must learn from this experience and seek solutions. We need a national emergency template similar to that in place in other countries. We know that flooding is predictable because of increased rainfall owing to climate change because, unfortunately, flood plains were built on during the crazy Celtic tiger years. While many communities such as those in the Oranmore and Carrowmoneash flood plains resisted these developments and paid large amounts of money in pursuing objections to An Bord Pleanála, developers have persisted in lodging applications. Some have even been granted.

As Senator Norris said, we have a lackadaisical attitude to cleaning our waterways and drains which need to be regularly maintained. For several years a family had to be evacuated in Oranmore owing to flooding. As it had made the national news, one and a half years ago it was decided to dredge the river behind the Allied Irish Banks branch in Oranmore to prevent further flooding of the family's home. To get permission to clean up one river, three agencies, the Office of Public Works, Galway County Council and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, had to be asked. In the recent flooding this area was not affected as quickly as others. This highlights the benefits of dredging rivers to allow water flow easily to the sea.

Oranmore is close to the sea. This time the flooding affected areas further inland. I know of a family in Derrydonnell with a 13 week old baby whose home was flooded. Other areas further inland such as Bushfield Gardens and Claregalway were completely flooded. In Cúirt na hAbhann up to 30 houses are flooded, with all of the back gardens in the Lakeview estate. Further east, Kinvara and Ballinasloe are flooded. The whole area of south Galway has been described as a disaster zone.

What is the financial plan for these affected areas? How much will be committed nationally and how much to Galway? How much will be set aside for the immediate clean-up and the subsequent significant investment that the county manager has said is needed in the road and bridge infrastructure? Already where the water has receded in Galway, one can see the roads ripped up. This is coming at a really bad time in our economic history as already the councils have no money. They will have to be resourced nationally. If the Government cannot raise the funds nationally, it will have to seek them from the European Central Bank. Up to €54 billion has been secured for the banks at an interest rate of 1.5%. We cannot leave people's homes, businesses and livelihood without support.

The larger issue is what will be the long-term solution and plans for a national emergency template. What if this were a nuclear emergency at Sellafield? Ireland needs to be more ready for emergencies. As Senator Norris said, we are not used to natural disasters in this country - thankfully. However, that is the reason we were unprepared for the latest flooding. We need a co-ordinated emergency plan between national and local agencies.

Galway County Council, Galway Bay FM, Civil Defence and the Army have been wonderful in dealing with the floods. However, as I passed through Athenry this morning, the firemen there informed me they were not needed. Apparently, the fire chiefs consider call-outs should only be to deal with life and death emergencies. In Athenry there were only three call-outs to help with the flooding compared with 130 in Ennis. These three call-outs involved moving a woman from under three feet of water, relieving flood waters at the agricultural college to allow motorists to proceed and assisting a man whose car had got stuck in a flood. These are common emergencies. Roads are the least of our worries when it should be people trapped in their homes. I know of a woman who is homebound in Ballinacloughy, Maree, because of the floods. The council will not raise the road for her and Civil Defence is only present as backup. Surely the fire service should be engaged in assisting this woman.

I look forward to hearing the Minister of State on the short and long-term plans for dealing with the aftermath of this flooding and a template for national emergencies.