Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after ''Seanad Éireann'' and substitute the following:—

"— shares the Government's appreciation of the work of local authorities, Health Service Executive, An Garda Síochána, Defence Forces, Civil Defence and other statutory bodies in responding to the November 2009 flooding and recent severe weather events;

— recognises the contribution by voluntary organisations and individuals and the assistance provided to their fellow citizens during the two weather events;

— commends the Government's use of the National Emergency Response Coordination Committees to provide direction to the management of the response issues during the flooding and severe weather events;

— recognises the significant funding made available by the Government over recent years under the Water Services Investment Programme in response to specific environmental, public health and economic needs;

— welcomes, despite the current difficult economic situation, the provision of €508 million in 2010 for the Water Services Investment Programme;

— notes the Minister's intention to effect a reprioritisation in the new Water Services Investment Programme 2010 to 2012 with a very significant increase in investment in water conservation aimed at addressing the unacceptably high levels of leakage in local authority water supplies;

— notes the significant progress being made to implement water quality management and flood relief planning on a river basin basis;

— notes the progress being made by local authorities to repair water mains damaged on foot of recent severe weather events;

— notes that during the prolonged severe weather 14,000 km of the public road network which carries about 60% of total traffic and about 80% of commercial traffic were gritted daily and kept open for the duration of the severe weather by local authorities;

— acknowledges that the national road network together with other key strategic roads and public transport routes was kept open to traffic at all times;

— notes that €5.7 billion has been contributed from the Exchequer for local and regional roads since 1997 and that despite the difficult financial situation over €411 million is being made available for 2010;

— welcomes that the priority for regional and local roads for 2010 is to safeguard the existing investment and repair the damage caused by the recent severe weather; and

— commends the Minister's intention to review the operation of the emergency response arrangements under the Framework for Major Emergency Management in relation to the two weather events to learn from the experience gained and to ascertain if any improvements are necessary and should be applied in managing the emergency response to future such events."

I reserve my right to speak later.