Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I was absent for part of Senator Kathryn Reilly's contribution because I wanted to check on a point made by Senator Thomas Byrne. While I was a member of the National Economic and Social Council, NESC, a number of years ago, the idea of climate change was discussed. The Central Statistics Office used to have the numbers, but they are not in the statistical yearbook. The Minister of State might replace them. As far as I remember from seeing the figures four years ago, there had been no change in rainfall in the preceding 50 years in the Kerry mountains and Malahide, the wettest parts of Ireland. However, some doomsayers claimed that the Lakes of Killarney would be approximately five times larger than they are now. I do not know what was supposed to happen in Malahide. I supplied the numbers to the NESC which changed its report somewhat. That the climate section of the statistical yearbook does not include figures for rainfall is interesting. That information might address the points raised by Senator Thomas Byrne.

As in all fields, there is a climate change industry, one that sometimes invents crises. Neither I nor the council saw any difference in the rainfall in County Kerry in the 1950s and a number of years ago. Met Éireann could confirm whether this was the case. The information should be contained in the statistical bulletin to allow people to judge the pattern.

The Minister of State referred to the insurance industry not taking account of work done by his Department. Representatives of the insurance industry who appeared before the transport committee yesterday have requested access to penalty points data to allow them judge the risk of drivers, in respect of which they have the co-operation of the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport. If they are willing to take on board that information in order to penalise people with a bad driving record then they should be willing to reduce premiums in areas in respect of which the OPW's flood control records are good. Insurance is supposed to measure risk. As such, where the risk is reduced, this should be reflected in lower premiums. The refusal of insurance companies to insure in particular areas is particularly strange.

I commend the OPW for having a green car park in Farmleigh. As stated by Senator Landy, tarring over gardens, as in shopping centres, causes run-off to speed up. Green car parks such as the one at Farmleigh allow for better absorption of water. There is a need for greater liaison between the OPW and the planning authorities. We all know that in places such as Dunboyne and Maynooth planning permissions were granted in places which everybody in those localities knew were prone to flooding from time to time. In Gort, houses were built in turlough country. The Rydell report of the 1950s on the Shannon, which was epochal research, stated that the cheapest way to address this issue was to subsidise the rebuilding of houses on higher ground. However, what it would have cost to alleviate flooding in the Shannon area at that time would have exceeded any possible benefits. The case was made that flooding of the area in winter did not do any harm and may have done some good to the soil. Another important point in this regard is that in the US the Army Corps of Engineers was required under the Flood Control Act 1936 to undertake projects so that the benefits to whomsoever they may accrue would exceed costs. Out of this grew cost-benefit analysis, an issue on which Mr. Otto Eckstein from Harvard wrote. One wishes that project appraisal in other areas was as good it is in respect of flood control.

There was a danger in the past, to quote Mr. Colm McCarthy, that many expensive drainage projects turned wet rocks into dry rocks. We do need a flow of benefits. If one is going to spend ¤250 million it must be at a suitable discount rate - the current cost of borrowing is high - and a flow of benefits must result from it. We cannot allow a situation whereby the OPW carries out engineering works that enhance people's private incomes but do nothing for society.

The Minister of State referred indirectly to the flooding at Clontarf. I have discussed this problem with Deputies representing that constituency. They may have written to the Minister of State about it. Only yesterday I discussed with Senator Quinn the flooding that occurred in that area a number of years ago and the lack of water at the time two miles down the road which resulted in the Kilbarrack sailing club having to shut down. I believe the causeway between the mainland and Bull Island prevents the flood plain from operating as it should. It is hoped the OPW will take an interest in this project, which became a cause célèbrewithin Dublin Corporation, or Dublin City Council as it is now, because it built the causeway and as such cannot admit there is anything wrong with it. As a former resident of the area the Minister of State will be aware that the people in Clontarf were strongly opposed to the erection of a high wall and disputed the need for it. The Minister of State will get to say "I told you so" if there is flood in Clontarf and I will be in trouble in Sutton if the causeway is cut and there is a flood in Sutton. We have many people with agricultural expertise on how we could use the flood plains rather than engaging in expensive engineering works.