Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey. I come from Athlone which is in the centre of Ireland. We, like Senator Phelan and the people of Kilkenny, have had massive trouble with flooding. I warmly welcome any restructuring and reorganising of the management of our rivers. However, I am concerned about whether this body will have autonomy and if the OPW will have control over the new board. I recently visited the Cathaoirleach's part of the country, namely, Meelick, Victoria Lock and the Cut. I was quite shocked because the flood had reached the Athlone area. Of the 20 gates at the Cut, seven were closed. As Senator Phelan said, trees, silt and so on are in our rivers. Who or what will be responsible for cleaning them out?

I was a teenager in the 1980s when the mainstay of tourism in the Athlone area was German and English fishermen. They fished from the bank but can no longer do so because of siltation. They have to wade out very far and it is not safe because the river is not steady. It has destroyed that element of the tourism industry. I also have concerns that €40 million has been provided for river basin management projects, yet more consultants will be employed. I question what they will do.

If one comes from an area such as where I and the Cathaoirleach come from, it is very obvious what needs to be done. If the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources was in touch with the people and locally it would find what needs to be done is very clear. I ask that there be consultation with the local people.

I warmly welcome the tidying up of fisheries and the fact that the trout and course fishing body has been abolished. It is not a bad thing. I ask that fishermen be consulted and connected with what is going on and how money is being spent. Most importantly, the OPW should be allowed to be the co-ordinating body of our rivers and the fisheries body should listen to what the OPW is saying about flooding because ultimately it is the person, household and farmer who should be considered over everything else.