Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I extend my sympathy to the families who lost their loved ones yesterday. It is tragic that such things happen.

I sat and watched the television yesterday and I saw what I would call a clown in Blackrock, Galway, walking along the diving tower to go in for a swim. It might interest the House to know that the tower is there as a direct result of my father saving a woman's life during a riptide in Blackrock in 1947. It was dangerous then when there was no tower, but it is twice as dangerous now.

We should look at legislation that would provide for people to be charged with reckless endangerment and, if necessary, put in jail. Somebody suggested last night that there should be a fine for this type of behaviour. How much of a fine would pay for the loss of a rescuer's life in a situation like that?

I congratulate the Government on an excellent job of preparedness, and for the excellent co-ordination of services throughout the storm. The Taoiseach and his Minister have been a credit to this country. However, there is always a downside. This morning I listened to the Minister of State with responsibility for Defence, Deputy Paul Kehoe, and was absolutely horrified that he would mislead the country in the way he did. He spoke about engineering units being available in every barracks in the country to assist the local authorities. There are no engineering units in counties Donegal, Galway, Limerick or Kilkenny. A third of an engineering unit is available in Dublin, two thirds of an engineering unit is available in Athlone. There is one full engineering unit, as we learned during the Donegal floods, available in Cork. We know that because they brought the bailey bridge to Donegal. The Minister of State spoke about members of the Defence Forces being available with chainsaws to cut down felled trees. There are two qualified chain saw operators covering the entire northern section of the country in a line from Dublin to Galway. I wonder how useful they will be in the entire counties of Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Donegal, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan and Louth. This is shameful misleading of the public.I believe that the Minister misled the public this morning. He should come to this House this afternoon and explain where precisely are the resources he is talking about. He spoke about plant being available. There are two pieces of plant available in this country from the Defence Forces right now for an emergency situation like this. It is outrageous, when the Government has gone so far to build the confidence of the people of this country on our preparedness to deal with a crisis, that one Minister would tell what can only be described as blatant lies. I am asking for the Order of Business to be amended to bring the Minister before the House.