Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We cannot agree to the Order of Business. I, therefore, propose an amendment that the relevant Minister come to the House for an emergency debate on the flooding issue. As we know, the forecast this evening for counties Clare and Kerry, all counties in Connacht, County Donegal and other parts of the country is again very bad. In 2012 the Taoiseach spoke about the need to have much more sophisticated early warning systems and a system that would operate to best advantage for everybody. After 2013, during which we saw the worst storms for 143 years, we heard the first calls from Met Éireann for additional staff. I see that, as part of the Government's announcements in recent days, the extra staff needed can be recruited by Met Éireann, but it is too little too late. An allocation of €14.5 million for flood relief schemes for this year alone remains unspent. While we welcome the provision of €15 million to aid communities under siege because of recent floods, it is truly disturbing to listen to communities throughout the country, including in Athlone and Bandon and farmers along the western seaboard. Last evening I spoke to somebody in Sligo whose house was completely flooded and who was in urgent need of somewhere to rent in order that they and their family could begin preparations for Christmas. We are not ready for this and never have been. Despite a series of measures announced by the Government in 2012 and specifically in 2013 when we witnessed the worst storms for 143 years, it seems we are as unprepared as ever.

The Minister of State, Deputy Simon Harris, said there had been unanticipated delays in providing the funding required to deal with this issue. What is the reason for the delays? The Army needed to be called out much quicker to prepare by providing sand bags and making other preparations to mitigate the effects of the disaster that has taken place. It is our contention that an urgent debate is needed. The House is entitled to know that all hands are on deck and what measures will be taken in the coming days as conditions continue to worsen. As we know, many families do not even have insurance because of what happened in 2012 and 2013. Following very bad floods in the United Kingdom in 2013, the Government there undertook to sign a memorandum of understanding with the insurance industry in order that people who had experienced flooding in the past would still be in a position to take out insurance on their homes at affordable rates. That is not the case here and one of the questions we want to put to the relevant Minister is whether there has been such contact with the insurance industry and whether a scheme is being prepared to ensure families will have this protection into the future.

We will push the amendment proposed to the Order of Business to a vote and I hope the Leader will be in a position to bring the Minister to the House to reassure us on what is taking place to mitigate the effects of a disaster that may get worse if the forecast as outlined is true.