Kevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senators for their kind words. I want to bring them back to the days prior to the negotiations with Government. When the deal was done and we took the bold move to go into government, I met the then Taoiseach. I could have gone for almost any job I wanted and I would have got it. I looked for one job. I looked for the Office of Public Works, OPW, with responsibility for flooding. Why? It was because I am passionate and believe in the OPW. I believe it can deliver on schemes throughout the country. During the days and nights afterwards, people asked me why I took the OPW because they told me they are the hardest people to work with. I can assure everyone in the House that the OPW is the best outfit I have ever worked with and I have worked with a great number of people throughout my political career and as a self-employed person. I can tell Senators that I have faith in the OPW and I ask them to have faith in it as well.

Regarding the comments made about Inishowen in Donegal, in any place I visit, I am not one of these Ministers who arrives in on a white horse and rides out never to be heard from again. I will be visiting Donegal on Monday afternoon to Tuesday to see the good work that was done by the officials, elected representatives and the people of Donegal, who suffered the most. I will also reassure the people that my Department is working very closely with Donegal County Council to make sure we have defences, channel cleaning and whatever is necessary to help one another. Local authorities and councillors need to work more closely at budget time to provide money to clean channels. When we have floods, everyone appeals to Government. It is a case of Government must deliver this and that, but elected members in areas where flooding occurs have a huge duty to ring-fence money at budget time. When they come to my Department, I will do the job. We have changed areas in the minor works scheme to allow moneys to be spent wisely and correctly to help people. I am very close to making an announcement where I will pick four counties for a pilot scheme for channel cleaning. It is not a major amount of money but I want to get local authorities working in a situation where they can get over environmental issues and other major issues they may encounter through fisheries and parks and wildlife in order that we can work together and start a pilot scheme that can develop and become bigger. I am working with the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government with regard to that.

Regarding farmers and other people who were mentioned, this area does not fall under my remit but I am a member of Government and if the Senator puts those questions to me, I will gladly bring them to the relevant Ministers. Regarding climate change, for the first time in the past ten years, Government has put money across every Department. It is a step in the right direction. Yes, we would like to do more but it is unfair to criticise us and say that we are not leading. We are leading and are working very well. I would like to see far more investment in it. We are taking small steps but they are steps in a positive direction.

People know where I stand on insurance. They know that the OPW builds walls and works with insurance companies, but it is under the remit of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. People come to me about insurance. I have met insurance companies. About three or four weeks ago, we put suggestions to them and are awaiting a response. I will gladly keep working with the insurance companies.

Mayo was mentioned by Senator Mulherin. I assure her that since I took office, and I would point out that I am only four months in the job, I have taken Mayo by the scruff of the neck, as it were. I want to deliver. The Minister for Rural and Community Development is on the path to my door every day of the week, so I can assure the Senator that everything that can be done to fast-track things is being done. I am close to making a decision when I get a report back relating to Mayo.

Regarding Athlone, Senator McFadden asked what my legacy might be. I do not want a legacy. I want to help and protect people and make sure that whatever can be done will be done. I assure the Senator that everything possible is being done for Athlone and the greater Shannon region. Many a Minister has come through this House and made promises, but I am the first person to put the diggers on the Shannon since Queen Victoria. It was never done before and I assure the Senator that when I went looking for a licence, I applied for eight licences and received seven. Work was done in five areas. The other two areas were too high but that work will start in the new year. That maintenance programme will continue. Athlone has plenty of channel cleaning.That work is continuing. She will know from her time as a councillor that the Al river flooded at Willow Park and work there is also being done. All these good things are happening. Prior to my election to the Dáil in 2016, we talked about four schemes for Athlone. There are now eight schemes relating to Athlone. We will hopefully be starting one of those schemes in the next week or so and major works will be taking place on the Shannon.

The Senator also mentioned Meelick Weir. I hope to make more announcements in that regard in the near future. I consider Mayo, Athlone, Limerick and Cork as the areas that need to be protected as a matter of urgency. That is not taking away from the other small towns and villages on which I am working closely with the local authorities. I am meeting all the local authority executives to reassure them that my Department is open. We have money to spend and we will work closely with them. We will do that together, as a unit.

Some people referred to CFRAM and stated that we are breaking the EU rules. That is not the case. We are working very closely with the EU and updating it on every move we make. By the end of this year we will have CFRAM in place. CFRAM is not, as some Members of this House and the Lower House believe, the bible in the context of fixing everything. It is a slow lead-in process to make things happen over the next five to seven years. The Government is fully committed to CFRAM and I believe we will deliver on it. Even when CFRAM is announced, at times in the future certain Senators will have me back in here saying, "My house never flooded; why am I now in a flood plain?" Senators will have to get used to this. The Department will defend these houses, but it will not be possible to protect every house. That is why we are looking at the home-protection scheme. I hope to be able to roll out something in the new year in that regard to give support to the people most affected in rural areas.

We all talk about CFRAM protecting urban areas. In that context, people might ask about the position in rural areas. I can inform them that this is the first part; the second part is still to come. I will work closely with all Departments to ensure that we deliver in this regard.

I could go on all day and all night talking about different issues. I have enormous support from the Government and from the Taoiseach. He has contacted me on a daily basis in recent weeks to ensure that everything required for the different things that happened in recent days was in place. There is support from him, from my Department and from right across the House. That is no different from what happened in Donegal. The Taoiseach was very much to the forefront. When I sought to get the Army involved to assist the local authority in Donegal - Senator McFadden and I saw this again in Athlone - and to help with private houses there, he gave me the green light. That is how we were able to assist people in Donegal.

I disagree with what Senator Craughwell said about the Army. As a person who has been working with the first responders, not just in the past few days but also over recent years, once they are required to come in, they have always been first there and have done an excellent and successful job. That is not taking away from the good work of the local authorities. They have to be commended on all the good work they did in recent days, as should the Garda, the Civil Defence, local volunteers and communities at large. No Member of the House wants to wake up every morning and see flooding and storms. A Senator mentioned that another storm is due to arrive at the weekend. That is not official yet.