Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator MacSharry proposed that the Minister of State, Deputy Harris, come to the House to debate the issue of flooding. Most of the contributions on the Order of Business this morning concerned flooding. I have a comprehensive document on flooding that I can read out to the House but I have no intention of doing so this morning. In the other House, the Minister of State gave a comprehensive reply to a Topical Issue debate on the issue yesterday and I suggest that Members read it. However, as so many people have asked for a debate, the Minister of State will be attending the House for two and a quarter hours to deal with the Finance Bill 2015 so I suggest that with the consent of the House, we give 15 minutes at the end of that debate to the Minister of State to make a statement on the question of flooding, what is going on, what has happened and what is about to happen. This way, I am trying to facilitate the House.