Camillus Glynn (Fianna Fail)

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I commend the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy John Gormley, on his positive approach to the recent severe problems arising from the adverse weather conditions which were unprecedented. One of the good things which emerged from the recent bad spell was that the old meitheal concept was alive and well in Ireland, something about which I am very pleased. I record my deep appreciation of the response of the Government, the HSE, the Garda Síochána, the Defence Forces, Civil Defence and other statutory bodies to the November 2009 floods and the recent severe weather conditions. It is important that I record my great appreciation of the efforts made by many locally elected members who rolled up their sleeves and stood in the breach. They also have to be commended. There was a great response from the community as a whole. The national emergency response co-ordination committee also did a marvellous job. It is very easy to criticise but as somebody who had to do without water for a week, Westmeath County Council and the Defence Forces stood in the breach in a meaningful way.

I am a committed local authority man; I always have been and always will be. I am a strong supporter of the concept of local government in towns, counties, county boroughs and boroughs. It needs to be upgraded and powers need to be enhanced. I am surprised, therefore, at Fine Gael. It is hypocritical to criticise the handling of water services by local authorities and lay blame at the door of the Government when the overwhelming majority of city and county councils are controlled by Fine Gael. It controls 28 out of 34 councils.