John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

I am delighted to second the motion and welcome the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. I echo Senator Paudie Coffey's comments about the Minister seeming to be the only Cabinet member to have a handle on the difficulties encountered during the severe weather at the beginning of the year. It was in marked contrast to the role played by the Minister for Transport, Deputy Noel Dempsey.

Many residents in counties Kilkenny and Carlow believe their local authorities dealt effectively with the difficulties presented by the severe weather conditions. However, there seems to have been a complete failure at Government level to grasp the seriousness of the situation soon enough. Senator Paudie Coffey made the point that once an issue affects Dublin, the Government is forced into action. The recent severe weather was no exception, showing the Government not taking national action until the weather conditions extended to the Dublin region. That was disappointing to those of us who do not live there.

I agree with Senator Paudie Coffey's call for a significant investment in the water network and the establishment of a national body to oversee domestic and commercial water provision. Producing water is a costly business yet almost half of it is lost in the pipe network. While some local authorities have invested in upgrading their networks to ensure a reduction of water loss, the figure still stands at 40% which is unacceptable. The significant difficulties for local authorities in funding their own water management programmes due to the collapse of development levies, a decrease of 80% from what they were at their peak, was brought to my attention in counties Kilkenny and Carlow. Most of those levies were invested in water conservation measures and laying new pipe networks. This shortfall now will have to be met from some other quarter. The recent bad weather has exacerbated the problem and led to more damage in old pipe networks.

The only criticism I have of the Minister relates to the road network. On "Prime Time" during the middle of the weather crisis, he claimed funding for local governments has not been significantly touched when in fact funding for local government road programmes has been. Flooding in November followed by ice in January has led to the rapid deterioration of the local roads network in some parts of the country. I do not accept the Minister for Transport's claim that no additional funding can be found for the local roads network. There is a strong case for diverting funds from some of the national roads programmes which are coming in below budget. In Carlow, it is estimated that repairing the damage of its network will cost €7.5 million. Local government depends very much on its funding from central government. With the collapse in development levies, it depends even more so. Will the Minister, along with the Department of Transport, look at granting additional funding to the worst affected parts of the country? Next Friday, there will be a special meeting of south Kilkenny local authority members and officials with Oireachtas Members to discuss the damage done to the road network. A letter will be sent to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Minister for Transport requesting additional funding for repairing the area's network. I hope the Government will be in position to look favourably on that application by the local authority in Kilkenny.

There is also the question of the allocation the Government gives to local authorities for roads and road repair, and the flexibility that is contained within that allocation - whether local authorities have discretion to spend that money on the repair of local roads rather than the restructuring programmes.

It is worth pointing out that significant investment was made in the past 15 years in particular in local roads in terms of tarmacing work done on local, primary, secondary and tertiary roads, and most of those repaired are in good condition and survived the recent bad weather relatively intact. I would hate to see a situation whereby local authorities would have to spend all the funding from the Department on repairing the damage done in January of this year. It is essential that we continue the programme of upgrading roads that were not reached in the past 15 years. Such long-term investment holds when the weather turns against us. As Senator Coffey pointed out, there is a danger with any repair works carried out that unless other essential works like the cleaning of drains and shores and other works that were routinely done by local authorities around the country but cannot be done now because of shortage of manpower, are recommended, any investment and money spent by local authorities on the repair of these local roads is in danger of being washed away. I ask that the Minister take on board Senator Coffey's suggestion about contacting local authorities and ensuing there is a regimented plan put in place to ensure basic works at local level in terms of cleaning water courses happen again. It is mundane work and it is not sexy. Local authorities have got out of the business largely of doing that basic work. If that work is done, however, it will save and guarantee a longer-term investment in the road infrastructure.