Eugene Murphy (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I share the concerns of Senator Chambers about the slow progress being made on major infrastructure projects in the west on which we expect movement. The matter came up at a parliamentary party meeting last night at which Senator Chambers and a number of other Members expressed concern. I am delighted, however, that it appears that the retendering for the N5 will proceed. There are several other projects that must also move ahead without delay.

The same Minister is going to be a very busy man because I am looking for something else from him as well. I am concerned about draft proposals from Europe on the rewetting of land and what they might mean for Irish agriculture. All of us raised on small farms know of the great drainage programmes that were carried out and the huge benefits they brought to rural communities. As with the rest of my party, I am not against environmental protection. We are reasonable people and we know what we have to do. However, from when I was six or seven years of age, I recall hearing my father and other people say that water has to be allowed to take its course. I believe that we should not interfere with water courses, even flood waters. Obviously we cannot allow flooding of housing estates but that is a matter of not building on flood plains. We cannot just force a plan against natural water courses or rainfall. The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications needs to come to this House to discuss the matter. He needs to hold the banner up for Irish agriculture and communities by not allowing Europe to push a rewetting scheme that could require that up to 80% of drained peatlands be rewetted. That would have huge and desperate consequences for large areas of rural Ireland. I know that some MEPs in various parties are opposed to this proposal. We must oppose it and we must get a good deal for Irish farmers on the proposed rewetting of land.