Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is a unanimous view, which I have picked up anecdotally everywhere, that the Taoiseach and Government Ministers deserve congratulations for the way in which they managed this situation and that their clear messaging and leadership was exemplary. I am impressed that has been acknowledged across the floor today.

The agencies, An Garda Síochána, the Army and all the various emergency services excelled themselves and did an exceptional job. I am delighted to join in congratulating them and our local authorities. Our council in Cavan was very proactive in removing fallen trees and so on. We did not get the worst of the storm but the council was exceptionally effective. All of that is good. I also congratulate Met Éireann. Everybody did their part and we can be proud, as a people, of the way it was handled. Of course I want to convey my sympathy, as did others, to the three bereaved families. For them it is a horrendous and shocking tragedy. I agree with Senator Craughwell in respect of the people who were out on the pier in Salthill. I could not agree more. Action needs to be taken. I agree with Senator Ardagh and also commend to the Leader that this question be looked at by way of a special debate.

I want to raise one very specific, distinct and new aspect in respect of the storm. I personally find seeing nice trees along our roadsides aesthetically pleasing, beautiful, lovely and idyllic on some occasions. They are part of the tapestry of rural Ireland and they are nice. However, when we consider the three bereaved families today, I put to the Leader that the relevant Minister should come to the House to discuss the need to remove and ban trees within 40 m of either side of a roadway. In other words they should be set back from the road a distance equal to the height of the tallest tree. The logic of this measure is that we are going to have more of these storms, as has repeatedly been said in this debate and has been suggested by the science. We cannot have a situation in which a tree can fall on a car. It has the potential to kill somebody. Despite aesthetics and the fact that we would love to have our trees there, they have to go. That is a lesson from yesterday. Had this been done, those families would not be in the position they are in today. Into the future this must be done. I commend a special debate to the Leader on removing trees from the side of the road to a distance equal to the length of the tallest possible tree. We have no option on this. Sadly, the reality is that we need to do it.