Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Senator Mooney said the multi-agency approach to flooding had not worked and should be abandoned in favour of a single agency approach. Senator Quinn agreed and also called for a Shannon river basin authority. The Minister of State, Deputy Harris, spoke comprehensively on the situation and the Government is doing everything possible. The money, some €430 million, is in place through the capital plan for flood defences.

Senator Quinn also mentioned the success of Holland and he is quite right. Holland is spending €1 billion per annum on flood defences. Whether we can afford anything like that is very questionable indeed and to compare us to Holland is a little unfair. We should join with Senator Bacik and others in complimenting all the volunteers, the local authority workers and the emergency services for the work they are doing in communities throughout the country which have been hit so badly by flooding.

Senator Mooney also spoke about the fact that there were fewer gardaí, with over 700 fewer in Dublin. We will have the Minister for Justice and Equality in the House on a number of Bills this week, with particular reference to the burglary Bill, of which we had Second Stage and of which we will have Committee and Remaining Stages this week. There will be ample time to debate the issue with the Minister. It is, however, a bit rich for Senator Mooney to talk about 700 gardaí fewer in Dublin when his party closed down Templemore and there was no more recruitment of gardaí.