Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I would like to raise for the third time an issue I have raised in each of the past two weeks. I ask Senators to think of the major parks in their own cities, towns and communities. Swan Park, which is an important amenity for tourists at the core of my home town of Buncrana, has been destroyed by floods and will be closed to the public for an indefinite period. It has been estimated that at least €1 million in funding is required because the bridge walk and the screen area have been destroyed. I welcome the Government's decision to reactivate humanitarian, farm relief, small business and community and sports schemes that were previously in place for communities down the country. Equally, it has funded repairs to roads and bridges in the Inishowen area of County Donegal, just as it did down the country. However, there is a huge gap in this area. I cannot get any Department to clarify where responsibility for this issue lies. It is a matter of clarifying which line Department is responsible for funding this vital amenity. I understand the Government can draw down European funding to deal with flooding and humanitarian issues of this nature. Having spoken to a number of MEPs, it appears that efforts are being made at European level to work in co-operation with our Government. This is not even about money from our own Exchequer, as I understand it. This is the third time I have raised this matter. Could the Leader organise for somebody at Government level to give me a response? If the Government cannot fund these repairs, it should be clearly explained why not. I estimate that a total funding contribution of between €20 and €30 million will have to be made to get our community and the people in it back up and running. Why would Swan Park be left out in that context? I would also like to mention the related issue of Glenevin Waterfall in Clonmany, which is an important community and tourism amenity.Glenevin waterfall is another important community and tourism amenity in Clonmany, about a 20-minute drive from Swan Park in Buncrana. It is owned by a community committee and would not require anywhere near the amount of money for Swan Park, yet it has also received no funding. These are two very important community tourism amenities which people have worked very hard to develop and cultivate but they have no funding support from central government. The Leader will notice that I have not once attacked the Government in this Chamber about its response to the floods. I have worked in partnership with Ministers, at local and national level, but there is a major gap in respect of Buncrana and Clonmany. I asked the Government to step in because there is no way Donegal County Council, or a local Leader group in Donegal, could cover it on their own. I would like to be able to meet a Minister on this matter to explain it face to face.