David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and thank him for taking this important debate. We have debated the issue in the House on previous occasions following more serious flooding. Obviously, we have had flooding over the course of the last few weeks in some parts of the State as well.

I start with a positive experience which shows that flood relief measures work.

There was a huge investment in flood relief measures on the quay in Waterford, wrapping around the St. John's river, where the flood wall and a flood barrier was put in place on the quay. It was a part of Waterford city that was subjected to continuous flooding but since the alleviation measures were put in place, they have worked and there have been very few examples of flooding in many parts of the city.

We should first look to where measures have worked and then look at the areas where problems remain and invest. I know that is not easy because we have had planning problems in Cork and other areas where, unfortunately, development took place on flood plains, where it is much more difficult to solve the problems. The Minister of State's predecessor spoke at length about the problems in Cork, where he met with stakeholders across Cork city to come up with the best possible solution. I concede that is a difficult issue but it is one we must examine.

On the last occasion we raised this issue, one of the calls I made was that both the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government would have contingency plans in place to deal with severe weather, and that they would set up sub-committees. My understanding is that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has set up a sub-committee but the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government has not yet done so. The Minister might look into that.

Many of the issues that arise with regard to flooding come under the control of local authorities but as a result of cutbacks in local authority funding over the past seven years we have roads which are in a very poor state, as is obvious to anyone who travels around the country, especially areas that are subject to flooding. Most local authority managers one talks to will say they do not have the money to keep the roads up to the required standard, and that is creating problems. Roads get washed away and damaged because of floods so we must ensure we maintain our roads in all areas. It is not just roads but bridges, signage and other infrastructure which is under the responsibility of local authorities. As the Minister knows, all of those have been subject to cutbacks and short-term savings in these areas lead to long-term damage. I would make that point with regard to funding.

I was at a meeting and therefore not here to hear the Minister's contribution but the issue of planning is important. He may have made reference to that already. Have we learned the lessons of the past in terms of building on flood plains, and what new legislation is planned by the Minister's Government to make sure we do not make the same mistakes again because at some point there will be a pick-up in development? Hopefully, at some point we will see movement in the private sector. Where new housing estates are built we will have more rezoning, and all that is necessary to meet the demand of citizens in terms of housing. That will happen at some time, although I hope not in the disastrous way it happened in the past for various reasons, but there will be private development at some point. What lessons have we learned from the past, from the Minister's perspective? What new measures from a planning perspective will be put in place by his Government?

I apologise again for not being here for the Minister's contribution but I will conclude the way I started. The Minister should look at the positive experience of Waterford city as a good example of where investment is made and we get a return. The people of Waterford and the businesses of Waterford have benefited hugely because of the investment made over a number of years in the city. I would want all towns and cities to get the same level of investment and the same level of protection against floods and flood damage.