Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for the coming to the House to deal with this important issue. I thank him and all the staff in his Department for the work they are doing. It is always a complex issue when dealing with trying to alleviate flooding. There are many of parties involved from landowners to property owners to local authorities and other authorities. We need to approach this issue by setting timelines to meet targets. That is extremely important.There is one issue on which I seek clarification. In fairness to the Minister of State, he gave a very comprehensive reply to a Commencement matter I raised on 24 January in regard to the Glashaboy flood relief scheme. In the reply, he referred to it being important to note that due to changes in EU legislation and a new environmental impact assessment, EIA, directive, there is now a requirement for additional consultation with designated bodies which will impact the programme. I ask for clarification on that issue because it is a 2014 directive which is then transposed, which takes a significant amount of time. There are technical issues in that regard. Will it delay projects and, if so, what will be the timeframe and who else do we need to consult?

Flood relief schemes often involve several contracts such as for the removal of knotweed, the cutting of trees, drainage and work on bridges. A project may involve four or five contracts and it is about tying them together. Can a programme be put in place to co-ordinate that in such schemes? One may get one contract up and running and then run into difficulty with another.

I recently visited the area of the Glashaboy flood relief scheme and looked at where major damage was done by flooding. It is a housing estate which was built within the past 15 or 20 years and the houses are below the level of the embankment around the river. The major flooding there in 2012 was caused by debris and many other things, including a large volume of water, but I noted a huge amount of tree growth overhanging the river. If some of that growth breaks off, it will fall into the river and could cause a blockage or other damage downstream. I am surprised that the local authority or whoever is responsible has taken no action to remove those trees in the intervening period of time nor ensured that there is no escalation of the problem. Is the buck being passed in terms of waiting for the OPW to make a decision on work that should be undertaken at a local level? Local authorities must be tied down in that regard. The local authority, rather than the OPW, gave planning permission for the housing scheme. The houses are under the level of the river embankment and when water came over the embankment there was approximately four feet of water in them. That was a case of poor planning, as was allowing the situation to worsen since the major flooding occurred in 2012.

Another important issue is the Cork flood relief scheme. The flood defences in Cork city are extremely important and I acknowledge that the Minister of State's Department is working very hard in that regard but the process must be speeded up. I appreciate that various procedures must be gone through but it is important for that work to be started as soon as possible because many business premises are directly affected when flooding occurs in the city and it is, therefore, important that the required remedial work be given priority.

I again thank the Minister of State for the work he and his Department are doing. All Members have a part to play in ensuring local authorities work with him to deliver the necessary remedial works.