Paul Daly (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Time is against me. We seem to be concentrating on flood defences. The Shannon and other rivers need to be looked at and we need to consider seriously, through a new agency, dredging these rivers. I am spokesperson on agriculture and while tackling the flooding of people's homes is and must be a priority, it is not even considered that thousands of acres of farmland are lost to water every year. Dredging and proper management of the Shannon would alleviate the pressures for those individuals also. I do not want to take from the grief, the hardship and the priority that should be given to people's homes, but flood defences are in ways a makeshift solution in areas, whereas if the River Shannon and other similar size rivers were dredged properly, it would not only alleviate the homeowners' problems but would also free up the thousands of acres that are unworkable for six to eight months of the year in many cases for our agricultural community.