Aidan Davitt (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. It is the first time he has been in the House since he assumed his portfolio and I sincerely and wholeheartedly congratulate him on his elevation. The Boxer, as he is called locally, as well as far and wide, which is no trade secret, and I soldiered together on Westmeath County Council for a number of years. I wish him hearty and well deserved congratulations. He is a hands-on type of person, as he proved the last time he held ministerial office and he certainly will not be found wanting in coming up with solutions. I advise any Senators who know of worthwhile and worthy projects to approach the Minister of State and talk to him because invariably, if it can be done, it will be done. That has been my experience.

I am not going to rehash all of the figures that he mentioned in his statement but the massive investment of €1.3 billion under the national development plan really is an eye-watering figure. In this current climate, with all of the turbulence caused by weather and climate change, now is a prudent time to be spending this level of money on defence and future proofing for the next generation. There are 55 flood relief schemes protecting approximately 13,500 homes at present. No one is more aware than myself and the Minister of State of the works in our own county of Westmeath, particularly in Athlone. Incredible work has been done down there, which has protected a hell of a lot of homes. He will have his finger on the exact number but without those works, a lot of houses would probably not be there today in reality. At the end of 2024, the OPW approved €686 million for 900 different flood relief schemes, which is incredible. Those schemes will protect more than 7,000 houses, which is a very substantial number.

There is one scheme in particular that I discussed with the Minister of State recently, which is being progressed by Westmeath County Council. The Department is providing funding, in conjunction with councils, to tidy and clean up rivers and so on. I have been working with Councillor Aoife Davitt on the Brosna river and have started to get the ball rolling with the Minister of State in relation to tidying up that river. There are a couple of black spots where people evidently congregated or socialised and there is rubbish on the river that is an eyesore. This is a very worthwhile scheme. Heretofore, this was the responsibility of the councils but they often did not have the money to clear away surface rubbish and other bits and pieces that could block rivers. The Minister of State has come up with an innovative scheme that involves county councils tidying up black spots on rivers and we are working on that in my own town at present.

Again, I commend the Minister of State and thank him for coming to the House today. I am sure, as always, that he will be as helpful as possible to all Members of the House.