Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief. I thank the Minister of State. I accept that the council and the OPW are probably doing the best they can. I will continue to hold a watching brief in this regard, even if I will not be able to keep as close an eye on the matter as the Skibbereen flood committee and the others who are working to allay these difficulties. The Minister of State can relay that message to his colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, whom I know very well. I raised my concerns about this issue with Dr. Martin Mansergh when he was the Minister of State responsible. I will continue to raise them. While I do not want to do so ad nauseam, I will highlight these matters again before next summer so that we can ensure there is no more flooding at the end of next year. Of course, there is no guarantee that we will not have more flooding between now and 1 April 2014. I hope that will not happen for the sake of the people of Skibbereen, who deserve better. As I have said, I will be holding a watching brief. Like the Skibbereen eagle, I will keep my eye on the matter to ensure fair play is achieved. There must be no further delays with regard to this scheme.