Grace O'Sullivan (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

To refer to the expression that time and tide wait for no man; tide, time and climate change will wait for no man, woman or human being on this planet. My party's stance on the issue of planning and construction on flood plains is well known to the Minister and State and others so I will not labour it too much today. However, I do think it bears repeating that any approach to flood prevention must consider the climate future at which we are looking. Global warming, rising temperatures, increased rainfall and greater instability will mean that areas on flood plains and near major watercourses which are currently designated for the development of housing will simply have to be abandoned. It is better to do that before construction commences and before people make these areas their homes.

To refer again to what Senator Reilly said, what is happening in terms of coastal erosion is incredible. I see it around my home town of Tramore. We have to start thinking of the families living in properties on the coastal fringe, close to the sea. We have to start making mitigation plans. As Senator Reilly said, this has to be done now because houses are falling into the sea in some places. It is happening in Dublin and in Wexford. We have a huge problem on our hands. All national legislation, local area development plans and, indeed, the national planning framework must reflect and react to this oncoming reality, lest we box ourselves and future generations into very unsafe corners.

I would also like to address the preservation of the natural barriers to flooding which we enjoy in some places. Coming from the town of Tramore and having seen the violent storms we have experienced - the end of a hurricane like Ophelia and Storm Emma - I note that we were told that events like this would happen only once in our lifetime. We are not seeing them once in our lifetime however, but multiple times. It is not that we are living longer. We are seeing this as a result of global warming and climate change. Everything must be done to support communities. We must defend natural defences to make sure that they function when the high tides and big waves come in. This applies to riverside natural defences and wetland areas that can cushion the force of high water levels at times of peak rainfall.

There is an area in Tramore called the Back Strand. It is a special area of conservation covering 500 ha. Mitigation work was carried out there a few years ago. Part of the Back Strand area that used to flood was opened up. Back in the early 1900s there had been defence mechanisms there. It has been opened up to create a sponge area. It will mitigate the force of flooding and it will save our sand dune system for a time. There are actions that can be taken and which we must take to ensure that communities, farmers and agricultural lands are supported in this regard.

I have also addressed an issue in the Seanad previously in respect of the people of Cork, our Seanad Leader's county. The people of Cork - men and women who love their city - are coming to us in the Green Party, calling us and sending us emails because of their concerns for the River Lee and their love of their natural surroundings and their city. They are adamant that the proposals for thicker walls on the river within the city are inappropriate, disproportionate and will fundamentally alter the feel and the look of the city, cutting it off from its very core. I ask the Minister of State to engage with the people and campaigning groups in Cork and to let the conversation go on. I am a great believer that if one consults well with communities they will give one the answers. They know the answers. They live there. They have that feel for the environment and the experience of living in it. They will help us to get the solutions. I ask the Minister of State to engage with the people of Cork and with the people who are concerned about the area of Cork city in order to ensure that whatever defences are put in place are appropriate to protect the city of Cork not just for now but for the medium and long term.