Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I support the call for a debate on the current flooding crisis. I also support the call by Senator Kelly for the Government to engage with Global Flood Solutions, Athlone, of which Mr. Shane Curran is the director, in this regard. I understand that this company has been seeking engagement with the Office of Public Works for many years about its products and that its requests have been refused thus far. In 2009 I spoke in this House about the village of Athleague, which was under water at the time. Three public houses in that village remained closed until after Christmas that year because they were under water. Two of those pubs have since ceased trading, which is illustrative of the affect of flooding on an area. Athleague village is now under water again. While local people are assisting each other in terms of the clean-up of houses, etc., the local pub remains closed. The local butcher shop, a chemist's premises and other shops are also closed. The situation is distressing. The proposed budget to address this crisis is inadequate. One fifth of the money being allocated could be spent in County Roscommon alone, where Golf Links Road and Lanesboro Road are, for a second time in six years, flooded. This Government has stood idly by since 2011 and has not put any investment into addressing this issue.