John Ellis (Fianna Fail)

I congratulate Senator Carroll on his election to the House. Some of us might have arrived here at a similar age and I hope he remains a Member of the House as long as us. That is my only wish for him today.

I compliment the staff who stayed at work yesterday, especially in my home county, Leitrim, where county council staff worked to alleviate the flooding problems in Carrick-on-Shannon, Leitrim village and other areas.

There is a point that everyone here is missing in connection with this problem. The ESB controls several waterways, mainly the Shannon and the Iniscarra dam. It should have realised that it could have dropped the level of those dams months ago knowing that there would be sufficient water to refill them due to climate change and all the precedents but it has done nothing.