Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State. I visited the Inishowen Peninsula the day after the Minister of State and his colleagues visited the area, which I know from a number of friends and colleagues in the area was greatly appreciated. I was shown around the area by a colleague, Councillor Nicholas Crossan. The devastation of the community was very clear. I was in touch with my colleagues during the past week and they relayed to me the enormous distress caused to the people involved, which will take a long time to get over. They are fearful that every time a storm occurs the area will flood again. I am sure the Minister of State will have experience in that regard in respect of Mullingar.We must do something. Insurance is an issue. I met people in shops and traders who now fear they will not be able to get insurance. Water literally came through and out of people's houses. I do not need to rehearse all that as the Minister of State is fully aware of it, but there is devastation. We must address some of the bigger environmental issues, such as global warming and all its impacts, but there is no consolation for people who are out of their homes at present. I know there is funding and the community assistance and so on at the time is grand, but that wanes as people get on with their lives. Others are left behind, and it is those people we need to be very conscious of. They want to get on with their lives, get back into their communities and back living in their homes. It is important that the Minister of State is in the House. I thank him for being here and I acknowledge the work he has done. I know he is limited in what he can do; there is so much pressure and no end to the amount of money he needs. I appreciate him coming to the House to discuss this very important issue.