Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Lá breithe sona duit freisin, and I hope an Ceannaire has a nice enjoyable day and it will be possible for her to get some time to relax with her family this evening.

Many important issues have been raised. I lend my support to all of them. I want to stay in my county now and raise an issue I have highlighted here before. This story may not be big news in Dublin or Meath, but it is a major issue for the people of County Roscommon. The Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, addressed this issue on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, OPW, Deputy O'Donovan, in late November, I think. I refer to the issue of the severe impact that flooding is having on people in an area near Lough Funshinagh in mid-south Roscommon.

I visited the area, as an essential worker under the Covid-19 restrictions, at the weekend. To say that people are in a desperate situation is an understatement. As I explained before, what is involved is a turlough that used to disappear. In 2016, however, an unusual situation occurred, and the turlough has started to flood. Since then it has continued to expand, to the point now where in the coming weeks at least seven families will have to leave their houses. That is the gravity of this situation. This is a farming area. When I was there, I saw that the cattle and sheep sheds had flooded and the animals had had to be removed. Those people are desperate.

I acknowledge that the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, who has responsibility for the OPW, and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy McConalogue, have met. I am requesting the Leader, however, to ask the Minister and Minister of State to meet a small deputation - virtually of course, because it will have to be - regarding the difficulties being experienced now.

This problem can be solved. There is a solution, but we must bring the OPW, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, and everybody else involved together as quickly as possible to see if we can move forward. This is a desperate plea and I know the Leader is a good person to bring this message back to those concerned. I ask her to get the Minister and Minister of State engaged again, so we can have a brief meeting to enable us to move forward and to save these people from absolute desperation. This is a desperate cry from those people.