Tim Lombard (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I wish to take this opportunity to welcome the Minister of State to the House. I acknowledge his great efforts in what really is an important portfolio. The Minister of State has exceptional knowledge of these issues. Given that he comes from Athlone, he is familiar with the unfortunate issues there in recent years.

One key issue we need to consider is climate change. That is one aspect in terms of where we are as a society. The question is how to deal with the dramatic climate change we have seen in recent decades. Climate change will intensify in the coming decades at the very least as the temperature of the surface of the earth increases. This presents major issues for our society and Government. The ministerial portfolio with responsibility for the Office of Public Works is probably the key portfolio in government in this regard. The Minister of State is charged with looking at how we can engineer ourselves to work around climate change issues. That is probably one of the greatest challenges we face.

Unlike Senator Leyden, I welcome the €1 billion announcement. That is a positive step forward and a momentous moment. Now we have the budget to look forward and see how we can provide the 25 schemes in the pipeline and the eight major projects and the 500 other smaller schemes that the Department is running at the moment. Now we have clarity on the budget. We have a vision, money and projects in place and we are working towards delivering them. The Minister of State should take a bow for his personal commitment to drive the Department forward. It is a challenge.

Unfortunately, whether we are in villages in rural Ireland or in big towns like Bandon, most of us have seen flooding. Literally, five weeks ago on a Saturday I was in Bandon as the river was going to flood. It did not happen but the water level came to within three inches of the top of the wall. Major work is under way in Bandon. We have seen major investment in towns such as Bandon, Clonakilty and Skibbereen. In time this investment will ensure the whole west Cork platform of major towns will be saved when it comes to flooding.

When I first entered the council in the early 2000s I saw huge flood relief schemes put in place in Mallow and Fermoy. We have seen how they have changed those towns. Towns like Mallow and Fermoy were destined to flood when it rained but they are now thriving towns on the back of the work done by the OPW and Cork County Council. We have seen the benefits from the economic side. Certain living standards are required if these works are put in place as well. I believe the Minister of State has tackled this issue and I wish to acknowledge his efforts in this regard.

Bandon flood relief scheme is probably one of the largest schemes that the Minister of State is involved in. The amount of work undertaken in that town in the past 18 months to two years has been phenomenal. Those responsible are doing most of the work in the river during the off-peak season - in other words, during summer time rather than the winter time. They are doing other drainage work at the moment throughout the town. It is phenomenal to see the amount of activity in Bandon at the moment.

One of the concerns in Bandon relates to the walking bridge or footbridge which was closed before Christmas. It was supposed to be reopened before Christmas it is not open to the public at all. Will the Minister of State look into that? A major issue for residents of the town is connectivity. People need to cross the river to get to the shopping centre and Main Street. Can the Minister of State provide clarity on when the bridge will be reopened? That would be helpful for residents of Bandon.

It is important to acknowledge that the residents of Bandon are happy with the works undertaken there. There is extraordinary investment and vast sums of money have been spent. Considerable manpower is in place at the moment. The contractors are working with the people to ensure minimum disruption. However, if we could get clarity on that small point, it might be helpful.

A small village west of Bandon is Ballinhassig. It is another pinch-point. It is in a glacial valley, an area with flooding valleys. We might look to see how we can work with the communities there in order that they will not be affected. Every time it rains, there is almost a panic there. They are the two pinch-points that the Minister of State might examine.

This is going to be challenge to our society. It will be a challenge for the people to work with our climate change issues to ensure that for the next 20, 30 or 40 years the settlements we have in place will not flood. Proper planning is vital. We have seen the mistakes of the past, including building on flood plains and low-lying areas. The CFRAM programme maps produced by the OPW will help the local authority when it comes to zoning land. That is one vital element to ensure we take appropriate steps in order that the land we build on will not be flooded.