Hildegarde Naughton (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Simon Harris, for coming to the Seanad this afternoon. As he will know, the long-range weather forecast has estimated that severe flooding will occur in the west, particularly Galway city, in the coming days. Water heights are estimated to rise to 20 ft., which is much higher than the quay wall at the Spanish Arch in Galway city. Any such high tides will undoubtedly put at risk areas of the city in close proximity to the promenade in Salthill and the Claddagh, and businesses and locals are very concerned about the impact.Any such high tides will undoubtedly put at risk areas of the city that are in close proximity to the promenade in Salthill and the Claddagh. Businesses and locals are very concerned about the impact that this will have. As the Minister of State will recall, on the last occasion high tides caused enormous water damage in Galway. While it is good to see that Galway City Council has indicated that its new aquadam will be deployed at the Spanish Arch in order to alleviate matters, if bad weather accompanies the flooding, that might not be sufficient to prevent the repeat of previous flooding. In light of that, I ask the Minister of State to outline where the national flood risk management programme now stands. I understand that public meetings are taking place to develop a regional plan but there is a great need for these plans to be finalised and the necessary funding be put in place.

I ask the Minister of State, on behalf of the Government, to commit to providing whatever funding would be required for remedial and repair work should the forecasted floods become a reality in Galway and the west.

Would it be possible to get a statement on the current state of affairs in regard to the River Clare in Claregalway? There was severe flooding there, as the Minister of State is aware, almost six years ago, on 21 November. Lawyers have been involved with regard to the progress of the works on the River Clare but there are people there who cannot sell their homes or who cannot get insurance because of the delays with this flood relief work. I ask the Minister of State to update the House on the state of those works.