Seanad debates

Wednesday, 18 October 2017

Flood Prevention Measures: Statements

 

10:30 am

Photo of Diarmuid WilsonDiarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kevin Boxer Moran, to the House.

Photo of Kevin  MoranKevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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I thank the House for the invitation to give an update on flooding and flood protection. I have issued a statement which is being circulated to the Members of the House to give them an idea of where we are in terms of my Department. At the outset, however, I offer my condolences to the families of Fintan Goss, Michael Pyke and Clare O'Neill, who were lost in the events over the past few days. One life is too many and three are far too many. It was a sad day for Ireland. I offer my sympathy and support to the families.

The past few days have been challenging but we also saw the good work of the flood committee, the co-ordination group and my Department. Notwithstanding the high tides, the surge in water and the flooding events that were threatened upon us, the schemes we have already put in place held up to the mark and did a tremendous job. That is not to say that we did not have some minor flooding in coastal areas, as well as areas of Galway, which were particularly affected. Three houses, in particular, were affected and the rest related to coastal areas. There was also a caravan park. We are always working to minimise this. However, most of the schemes we have in place worked.

Late on Tuesday night, we watched events unfolding in Limerick and Cork where water came very close to the top of the walls. That was a frightening experience for those living in and doing business in those areas.I am here today to discuss flooding. I am sure each Member will have questions to ask me that are relevant to their areas and while I will do my best to answer all questions, if there are questions I am unable to answer today I will get back to Senators on them.

Photo of Robbie GallagherRobbie Gallagher (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, to the House. I join him in praising all our first responders on the manner in which they conducted themselves in regard to Hurricane Ophelia. It was a massive undertaking. I compliment Met Éireann on the manner in which it was able to assess and progress the path of the storm and on the manner in which it kept the nation informed of the progress of Hurricane Ophelia. I compliment all of the local radio stations throughout the country on the manner in which they kept their local audiences aware of the more minute details and side effects of the hurricane, in particular, Northern Sound in Cavan-Monaghan, which kept citizens informed of where trees had fallen, power lines were down and roads were blocked. It brings out the best in society when our backs are to the wall. When such an event occurs, it brings out the best in us and all of our first responders, whom I compliment on the manner in which they gelled together to get the country up and running again as quickly as possible. I also compliment the Minister of State on his input in that regard.

Hurricane Ophelia highlighted once again the massive challenge we face in regard to climate change. It followed on from the recent flooding in the Inishowen Peninsula, which left many people homeless. When we hear people talking about climate change we often find it difficult to relate to it but when events such as this occur it focuses the mind. It is important we take climate change seriously. The old adage, "a stitch in time saves nine", springs to mind. It is important that we plan as far as possible for events such as Hurricane Ophelia and that we highlight the risks arising from heavy rainfall of the type of we are experiencing on a more regular basis. The first CFRAM study was carried out in 2010. It identified areas prone to or most at risk of flooding. It is important that process is progressed and that resources are allocated to the particular areas identified.

There are many people whose properties have been flooded and as a result are unable to obtain insurance coverage into the future, which is a very serious issue that needs to be addressed by the Government. It is important that people whose properties have been flooded previously and people who live in areas identified in CFRAM as at risk of flooding are not left out on a limb and are provided with insurance cover. It is important this is done. I referred earlier to the situation that arose in Inishowen. I know that the Minister of State visited the area shortly after that event. People were impressed by that. However, whereas initially there appeared to be a hands-on approach, some people are in limbo in that they still do not know whether the insurance companies will provide them with cover. The level of detail required from the insurance companies is an onerous task on citizens some of whom, as one can imagine, are under huge stress having had to vacate their homes as their livelihoods were washed away. This matter needs to be addressed. It is great to have a hands-on approach at the outset but it is important it is followed through to the bitter end in order that people are not left in limbo as to where they stand. There must be joined-up thinking by all of the agencies involved so that people can see a pathway to resolving their difficulties as quickly as possible and thereby get their lives back on track.

In Monaghan, where I live, a problem has arisen in the centre of the town close to the traffic lights at the shopping centre. During heavy rainfall, the area floods and as a result the shopping centre and the town is cut off from the rest of the county, which has a serious negative economic effect, in that often it can take up to a week before the water levels decrease to the point where normal economic life can get back on track. I understand that Monaghan County Council has submitted a request for funding to address the problem that is occurring at the traffic lights in Monaghan town. I would be grateful were the Minister of State to follow up on the matter on my behalf and revert to me with an update on the status of that request.

I referred earlier to the CFRAM study. It is an important study but it is equally important that funding is allocated as a matter of urgency to the areas identified in the study as at risk of flooding. Many of the people from Mayo and others areas in the west who experienced serious flooding recently are frustrated at the lack of progress in providing the flood prevention measures promised for those areas, work on many of which has not yet commenced. Perhaps the Minister of State would comment on that issue also. It is important to identify areas prone to flooding but it is equally important that this is followed up with funding for whatever works are necessary to ensure that where possible, flooding can be alleviated. This is an important issue, particularly for the people who find themselves homeless and whose lives have been turned upside down. It is important that we address these issues and show those people that there is clear pathway ahead to help them to get themselves back on track.

Photo of Victor BoyhanVictor Boyhan (Independent)
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I welcome the Minister of State. I visited the Inishowen Peninsula the day after the Minister of State and his colleagues visited the area, which I know from a number of friends and colleagues in the area was greatly appreciated. I was shown around the area by a colleague, Councillor Nicholas Crossan. The devastation of the community was very clear. I was in touch with my colleagues during the past week and they relayed to me the enormous distress caused to the people involved, which will take a long time to get over. They are fearful that every time a storm occurs the area will flood again. I am sure the Minister of State will have experience in that regard in respect of Mullingar.We must do something. Insurance is an issue. I met people in shops and traders who now fear they will not be able to get insurance. Water literally came through and out of people's houses. I do not need to rehearse all that as the Minister of State is fully aware of it, but there is devastation. We must address some of the bigger environmental issues, such as global warming and all its impacts, but there is no consolation for people who are out of their homes at present. I know there is funding and the community assistance and so on at the time is grand, but that wanes as people get on with their lives. Others are left behind, and it is those people we need to be very conscious of. They want to get on with their lives, get back into their communities and back living in their homes. It is important that the Minister of State is in the House. I thank him for being here and I acknowledge the work he has done. I know he is limited in what he can do; there is so much pressure and no end to the amount of money he needs. I appreciate him coming to the House to discuss this very important issue.

Photo of Michelle MulherinMichelle Mulherin (Fine Gael)
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The Minister of State is welcome to the House. We have been debating the issue of flood defences and protection more and more in recent times in both Houses and across local government and our councils because of the increasingly erratic weather we are witnessing. The weather on Monday is evidence, in the face of cynics who do not want to subscribe to the existence of global warming, that there are temperature changes and that climate change is having a devastating impact particularly on people in the south of Ireland. I would also like to be associated with the condolences expressed to the families of the people who lost their lives during Storm Ophelia.

In other parts of the world, we saw the massive hurricanes in the Caribbean and even though they are used to hurricanes, all the weather we are hearing of now and which is reported is unprecedented. The storms are wilder and the floods are higher. It is frightening, and the corner of the world in which we live is not earmarked to be the most affected, which means there are people who are far more affected than us. That is very sobering. If anything is a clarion call for people to unite to try to combat the causes of climate change, it must be this because it is visiting our doorstep. We see people coming together in terms of community and volunteers as well as the emergency services, which people have rightly praised over the past day or two in this Chamber. However, we must come together to fight climate change. We can do it. We have already seen that by banning aerosols the ozone layer has been restored over the past, I think, 35 years. We can make a change and a difference, but we must act collectively. If mankind is doing damage, mankind can take steps to repair that damage. There is also an economic case for this. There are lives and businesses to be considered, but climate change will have a severe impact economically if we do not stop the rising tides and floods.

I have no doubt but that, based on most recently the emergency services' response and the approach of the whole of Government and all its agencies, the issues of protecting people in storms, extreme weather and flooding are priorities for the Government. This is reflected in the programmes available. We have the capital flood risk management measures, whereby in September 2015 a pot of €430 million was made available to be spent between 2016 and 2021 on particular flood defences which would seek to protect towns and communities in the event of extreme high water. That is what we try to aim for, and we have seen some successes in parts of the country where the OPW has undertaken this work. I give credit to the OPW, the consultants and the communities that have played their part in making sure these flood defences are built. We also had the CFRAM programme, whereby 300 areas around the country have been assessed as to where they are deemed to be at risk of flooding. This is with a view to deciding what the appropriate options are to mitigate flooding and to try to reduce the risk of flooding. Some of those areas are at different stages. I have alluded to the €430 million being spent. That announcement predated the whole effect of CFRAM, and a number of projects were earmarked and identified at the same time as that funding was announced. That is taxpayers' money. The OPW is charged with making sure those flood defences are delivered as soon as possible and practicable and it engages consultants in that regard. I believe the Minister of State's job and role is to make sure that is done on time and as soon as possible, and I am sure he will not disagree.

A case with which the Minister of State will be very familiar is Crossmolina, which has experienced flooding over the years but particularly badly in November and December 2015. In November, there was a small flood, and then there was a deluge in December. It was absolutely horrific to see the devastation it caused in the middle of the town - not in an area where a new housing estate was built on a flood plain, but in one of the oldest parts of town. It was the same in Ballina, where I live. Old parts of town that were flooded had never really witnessed the like of it before. Work in Crossmolina had been in train in terms of consultants being appointed prior to 2014 to come up with a flood defence solution. Very late in the day, in 2014, the consultants decided that the option they were pursuing, which was to build flood walls within the town, could not proceed because in doing so extra pressure would have been put on the one bridge that goes across the River Deel. The whole bridge would have had to be replaced, which would have incurred significant additional cost. To me, it was pretty late in the day to make such decisions, but cognisance nonetheless had to be taken of the engineering and scientific findings, so it was back to the drawing board. However, from 2014 to date, we still have not had the second option. The option that has been examined is a channel upstream from the river which would take the excess floodwater and channel it away from the town so it does not come near the town in the first place. However, to date, I do not believe any option has been put formally to the Minister of State.

At this juncture, what is imperative, and what I am asking the Minister of State to do, aside from the generality of what I have to say, is to proceed to a public consultation on the preferred option as soon as possible and to get on with the next step towards progressing the building flood defences, whatever they will consist of. The money is there and the public is at a loss to understand the situation. Every time there is a yellow warning for rain - a yellow warning can result in this, and it does not have to be a red alert warning such as at the weekend - people are in fear. I acknowledge the pilot project announced by the Minister of State's predecessor, the Minister, Deputy Simon Harris, which saw the erection of floodgates. I think 83 premises have been fitted with floodgates. We see the local authority fitting non-return valves in premises in order that they do not have to deal with stuff coming back up through the sewage system and so on, and we see some minor flood defences in the form of walls built under the minor works scheme. However, the money is there to build a major flood defence. I acknowledge we must allow nature to take its course to an extent, but a lot of the scientific and other research has been done and we still do not have the preferred option on the table, namely, the public consultation. This is imperative.

The issue is not just getting emergency services in, getting the community to volunteer with the clean-up and getting the Government to give people money to compensate them in some way or to help them fix their houses and businesses. There is now a town in Crossmolina that is stagnant. One cannot sell a property in the area or get insurance for the property.If one had a business, why would one invest in it given that one is completely in limbo? It is somewhat depressing. The people there are mighty and have been very practical as a community in coming together.

I refer finally to CFRAM. In Ballina, which I mentioned, we have progressed in the process to the point of having a CFRAM plan with the preferred option of building a flood defence wall. However, an older part of the town was flooded again. Can we have some action and some investment for this? People live in constant fear that another big surge will come and destroy their homes which, at this point, no longer have insurance. I can well understand their concerns. This falls on the Minister of State's shoulders and I hope he can give us some answers. I am, of course, mindful of all of the good work that has happened over the last couple of days and the plans that are there. We need not just plans but action. In the cases I have described, that action is clearly overdue.

Photo of Pádraig Mac LochlainnPádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, for his swift response to the flooding in Inishowen in east Donegal. In fairness to him, he was up there straight away and spent a couple of days in the area. I met him on the ground at a number of locations. He also attended a meeting with councillors and the local authority management team. As such, I acknowledge his personal commitment to the issue. However, I need his assistance today with regard to other Ministers on some of the issues I wish to raise because there are still some gaps which I will now go through.

Colleagues here will have heard me raise every week in the Seanad the issue of Swan Park in Buncrana and Glenevin Waterfall in Clonmany. Swan Park is a key community amenity beside the River Crana in our town, in the history of which it is steeped. I ask people to think of a park in their own cities or towns which is beloved, where people go, where one meets one's friends and which represents a central part of community life. This park has been destroyed by the floods, is closed to the public right now and will remain so for an indefinite period. We need some type of special fund for this. Unfortunately, Donegal County Council will not be able to restore Swan Park on its own. Estimates of the cost stand at over €1 million. I ask the Minister of State and his officials who are listening in to the debate to talk to other Ministers about this. I have put down a question for the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Deputy Michael Ring, but the difficulty with parliamentary questions is that they go to departmental officials whereas we need the Ministers who visited the area and know about these issues to look at it. Glenevin Waterfall is an amazing amenity. There is a walk up to the waterfall which was built up by the local community. Since the floods, people have done tremendous work to restore it and, as they have gone a long way, it will not take a fortune of money to make this happen. However, they need that financial assistance.

The next issue is one the Minister of State will appreciate. He will have heard about it from farmers and people up there at the time. I refer to the involvement of the OPW, Inland Fisheries Ireland and the National Parks and Wildlife Service in the maintenance of rivers and streams. It will be a partnership and a team effort. I ask that these bodies work in partnership with farmers and local authorities to ensure that the maintenance of rivers and streams is approached properly and that we have the regular cutting back of trees where they have the potential to create blockages. There must also be realignment of rivers where necessary and that must obviously be done in the proper way. Dredging must take place at appropriate locations. Given the level of rain that came down, there was always going to be flooding. However, the scale of the problem did not, perhaps, need to be so great. There are lessons we can all take from that.

The next issue is flood defences in Burnfoot village, which the Minister of State is passionate about. They should have been in place by now. I ask that the Minister of State fast-track the construction of the flood defence in co-operation with Donegal County Council, not only there but in other parts of the county. While I appreciate there is work that has to be done elsewhere, Burnfoot stands out like a sore thumb. The people there were badly impacted by the flood and they need flood defences. I know the Minister of State agrees and that we just need to work together to fast-track it.

The next issue is that of sporting organisations. The Minister of State saw the damage to Cockhill Celtics ground in Buncrana town where a couple of the club's pitches have been destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of euro worth of damage has been done. The club falls into that gap because it is not a farming organisation and the cost is well beyond the €15,000 ceiling in the Red Cross administered fund. A number of sporting organisations were affected, including Illies Celtic, Dunree Boxing Club, Clonmany Shamrocks, Clonmany Community Centre, Sea Rovers and other football clubs in Malin. Cockhill Celtic, however, has been devastated and will require special intervention. I ask the Minister of State or his officials to communicate that.

The next issue is agriculture. A scheme is in place for farmers with a maximum payout of €15,000. A number of potato growers, however, have been completely devastated. I went out to the farm of one potato grower and spent hours with an agricultural advisor and friend of his. I also spent time with the farmer, Seamus Lynch, a good, hard-working and honourable man. The damage to his business is of the order of €300,000. It is heartbreaking. He was growing world-class rooster potatoes on top-quality soil but it has all been destroyed. All the neighbours and advisors came out to pump the water and did their best to get it away but his farm is destroyed and his heart is broken. Nevertheless, there is nothing there for him because he falls through the gap. It is too big a burden to carry at €300,000. There are other potato and crop growers who fall, unfortunately, through that gap as well. We must address that. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Michael Creed, will have to meet with farm organisations in Donegal to hear more about these gaps and shortfalls.

The Minister of State saw the issue with water and sewerage infrastructure himself. I was with him when he went into the house in Burnfoot. Fair play to him, he did not stand back but went inside and saw for himself what happened. Raw sewage went through people's houses and I acknowledge that the Minister walked through it and saw it. We need Irish Water to fast-track the necessary works on sewerage plants which are vulnerable to flooding. Not only has flood water gone through people's homes, there has been raw sewage. It is devastating for people. The Minister of State saw the heartbreak when he was there. While I appreciate that the Minister of State is being good enough to listen to this today, we need a whole-of-government response and taking of responsibility. Nobody is dealing with the specific issues I am raising, yet we are now two months on.

Another issue is private roads. An enhanced local improvement scheme package is required. All of these private roads and lanes were destroyed by the floods but there is nothing for them. In fairness, the public roads and bridges will be restored, which is to be commended, but the private lanes are destroyed and there is very little there for them beyond a couple of loads of stone here and there.

I ask the Government to stop using the phrase "Once in 100 years". We need to stop saying it. I heard President Donald Trump in America use the phrase "Once every 500 years" regarding the challenges there. In Donegal alone in recent years, Finn Valley has been flooded, as have Kilmacrennan, Kerrykeel, and Ramelton. Our major acute hospital in Letterkenny was flooded with serious consequences. We have now had floods on the Inishowen Peninsula in east Donegal. These are regular occurrences and it will be an ongoing reality. That is why climate change deniers must be confronted head on. This is the reality of what we face.

The following is no responsibility of the Minister of State as it relates to the period before his time in office. By late 2015, the Government was to have submitted its flood management plans to the European Commission. A number of measures have been taken and the preliminary assessments to identify river basins and associated coastal areas at risk of flooding have been submitted on time. Flood risk maps have been submitted on time also. However, the flood risk management plans, which were due in late 2015, have been confirmed by the European Commission, on foot of questions submitted by my colleague, Mr. Matt Carthy MEP, to be the subject of infringement action against the State due to the delay.I acknowledge that the Minister of State inherited this challenge, as I said, and I attribute no blame to him in this regard. However, his Department must get this matter over the line against the background of everything that has happened across the State in recent times. The EU floods directive was introduced in late 2007 in the wake of the major flooding which took place that year across the Continent. There was a recognition that lessons had to be learned by way of the introduction of certain responsibilities for member states as set out under the directive. Those responsibilities are intended to protect communities. The Minister of State has walked the walk on this issue in his own community and other communities. He understands the implications of climate change and of not having proper plans in place to address its effects. As someone who is relatively new to his office, he has demonstrated a solid position on these matters. I was impressed by his travelling to my area, where he spent two days talking to members of the community there. He is the man to affect change on this matter, but it will require his Government colleagues standing with him to make it happen.

Photo of Grace O'SullivanGrace O'Sullivan (Green Party)
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I thank the Minister of State for attending this debate. I saw him on the TV3 programme last night presented by Matt Cooper and Ivan Yates, during the course of which Evelyn Cusack of Met Éireann and RTÉ drew attention to the mean increase of 1° Celsius in sea temperatures globally. We are seeing the pictures and reports in the newspapers of glaciers melting in the Arctic and Antarctic and sea levels rising. All of this means we will inevitably see more flooding in future years. It is not the case that one will encounter a huge wave coming in as one takes a morning walk in Tramore Bay, for example. Rather, what we are seeing is a slow, creeping rise in global sea levels. An increase of 1° Celsius in global temperatures means there will be more flooding in this country and more weather events like Storm Ophelia.

I join the Minister of State and colleagues in expressing my sincere and deep condolences to the families who lost loved ones on Monday. My heart goes out to them as they deal with this horrific, unexpected and tragic event. In the aftermath of Storm Ophelia, we must take heed of the fact that with more such weather events bound to impact Ireland in the coming years, we will experience greater disruption to transport systems and electricity supply, as we saw in recent days. We will see the impact, too, in hospitals and other services throughout the country, and we must be prepared for that. In Tramore, for instance, several users of the Brothers of Charity disability services lost power in their homes and had to be rehoused in hotels. Many communities across the island were impacted in this way.

As someone who is new to the Seanad and to party politics, it seems to me there is a lack of recognition on our part of what is coming down the line and the preparation that is required in that regard. Girl guides years ago would take the pledge Bí Ullaimh, or Be Prepared, but it seems we in politics are not heeding that advice. An event of this kind of strength in these latitudes is extremely rare, with the wind forces we saw on Monday necessitating a red alert warning from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. That has never happened before, notwithstanding claims to the contrary by Deputy Danny Healy-Rae and others. We have never had a red alert of that magnitude since recordings began in this State. It calls to mind the red flag that goes up on the beach in the summertime. Storm Ophelia was the red flag going up over the Oireachtas to warn Ministers and all of us in these Houses to wake up and, instead of just talking, take real action.

In the course of conducting a survey of litter on the beach in Tramore last week on behalf of Coastwatch Europe, my fellow surveyors and I identified swarms of Portuguese men o' war, a type of jellyfish, around the south coast just a few days ahead of the storm. When we reported this to Ms Karin Dubsky, Coastwatch Europe co-ordinator at Trinity College, she told us we should not be seeing that particular species off our coast. This is the type of bioindicator that tells us things are changing, and it serves as another red flag warning us that serious action is now required to deal with climate change and global warming. People do not want to know about it, unfortunately, and the media do not want to report it, but we had better face up to the reality of what is happening. Schools are doing great work in this area, with the green flag award scheme run by An Taisce and the eco recognition programme run by UNESCO. Young people get it, unlike us middle-aged folk. It is our responsibility to learn the facts and ensure effective mitigation and adaptation measures are in place to protect the future for our children. Words are no longer enough.

I take this opportunity to acknowledge the great efforts by many people in Tramore to ensure people and property were protected last Monday. My local radio station, WLR, issued repeated warnings and information bulletins and included interviews with Waterford City and County council manager, Michael Walsh. In addition, local business people, including Thomas McCarthy and others, set about stacking one-tonne bags of sand and stone outside coastal business premises to alleviate damage caused by the storm. As another speaker said, the fear of God, or whoever or whatever one believes in, was in the hearts of people down around the south coast on Monday. I have spent lots of time at sea on small boats, but I stood in my home on Monday morning, with my daughter who has special needs, and was nervous just looking out the window. It was absolutely frightening.

Senator Mac Lochlainn has described the Minister of State as a man of action whose activities he has witnessed in Buncrana and elsewhere. I agree the Minister of State is a man of action who likes to get involved at ground level. I join my colleagues in placing our hope in him. We are with him in the push to ensure this country is ready for what lies ahead. That will require a move to renewables. It is not enough to be talking about systems or calling for another report or review. The Minister of State must make change happen. Otherwise, we will see more of the type of damage caused by Storm Ophelia. The coming weekend will see the arrival of Storm Brian and there will be a lot more of this type of weather event coming down the line.

The Minister of State may be aware of a group in Cork, the Love the Lee campaign, which is involved in public activism on the issue of flood barriers and defences in that county.Professor Robert Devoy of the geography department at University College Cork, who worked with that group, has expressed major misgivings about the plans to reinforce the banks of the River Lee with oversized and out-of-place defences. What is the Minister of State's response to those concerns and does he have any view on proposals for tidal barriers further out in the harbour? Any barriers will have an impact on infrastructure, on biodiversity and on the populations and communities living around the barriers. However, there has been a lot of flooding along the River Lee in recent years and action must be taken now to address it.

We are in the midst of a process of climate change. Evelyn Cusack of Met Éireann and RTE has noted that temperatures have risen by 1° Celsius and, as a consequence, we will be seeing more and more flooding in the future. We in this House wish to stand beside the Minister of State in an effort to ready this country, via flood defences and otherwise, as we face the very real consequences of climate change.

Photo of Gabrielle McFaddenGabrielle McFadden (Fine Gael)
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Curim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. I do not need to highlight the importance of a planned and systematic approach to the problem of flooding. The Minister of State, Deputy Moran, joined us in helping out in my wonderful home town of Athlone when the floods struck and saw for himself the trauma and heartache arising out of the damage caused. I welcomed the allocation in 2015 by the then Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, Deputy Harris, of €430 million for a six-year programme of capital investment, which effectively amounted to a doubling of annual expenditure on flood defence measures. I called at the time for some of that funding to be spent in the Athlone area. The Office of Public Works and local authorities have done good work in recent years and the programme is beginning to bear fruit as we see work progressing on flood defences and flood risk alleviation. I hope to see similar progress in the Athlone area on cleaning out the cut at Meelick and reassessing the level of Lough Ree, which was raised in the 1970s for navigation purposes. Given changing weather patterns, we cannot guarantee to protect every community from future flooding, but we should be in a position to respond to any flooding that does occur in a more efficient and appropriate manner.

Following the general election, I made two specific requests of the then Taoiseach, Deputy Enda Kenny. First, I asked that we have a Minister of State with special responsibility for dealing with flooding. My second request was that this Minister of State should set up a single agency to provide a co-ordinated response to flooding and take responsibility for the River Shannon. When the Government was formed, I was delighted to see the Taoiseach accept my suggestion of appointing a dedicated Minister of State. Eighteen months later, however, I see no progress on the establishment of a specialist co-ordinating agency to manage our flood response or the appointment of one person or agency with responsibility for the Shannon river. These are key priorities which should have been delivered by now. This time last year, the interim report to Government of the interdepartmental flood policy co-ordination group recommended the establishment of an independent oversight unit within the OPW to ensure an effective flood response. Following the Minister of State's experience of the flooding in Donegal, I heard him concede that such a unit was necessary. Why has it not yet been established? We can see from the events of last week the benefits of having a co-ordinated and cross-agency emergency response. In the case of flooding, a similar approach should be taken. In particular, we must help people whose houses become uninhabitable and farmers whose stock is lost or stranded. One winter has passed and a second is on its way since the interdepartmental group presented its recommendation. What will be different about the response of State agencies if Athlone is flooded again? What concrete actions has the Minister of State taken to set up a unit to ensure we respond more quickly and appropriately to flooding events? Is there any one person or agency holding responsibility for the River Shannon?

Among other things, the then Minister of State, Deputy Harris, can look back on his time at the OPW and point to the negotiation of a doubling of funding for flood relief as part of his legacy. What will the current Minister of State's legacy be when he leaves the Department? Will he be remembered as the person who oversaw the plans put in place by others? Will he do something practical to help those who are victims of flooding, an effort to which I know he is deeply committed? We cannot guarantee that there will never again be flooding in this country, but we must be able to guarantee that our response to any flooding that does occur is the best response possible. The ball is in the Minister of State's court.

Photo of Kevin HumphreysKevin Humphreys (Labour)
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No matter what the Minister of State does, there will be flooding in the future in various towns and villages. That is so because climate change is a reality. We must challenge those who deny that reality every time they open their mouths. Such denials give solace to those who wish to continue putting further investment into developments that very much damage our society. We cannot claim to be taking action on climate change while accommodating special interests, such as allowing Moneypoint to continue to operate for another five years or for peat-burning stations to remain operational as a result of the economic impact of their closure. We cannot continue to invest the amount of money we are putting into roads and motorways when we know that emissions relating to fossil fuels are damaging the environment. I stood with my neighbours, many of them elderly, in February 2002 as we watched belongings and mementoes flowing into the River Dodder and out to sea. There is nothing more heartbreaking than to lose, for example, photographs of husbands and children who have passed away. We cannot prevent this happening again anywhere in the country but we can show leadership on climate change. It is no accident that we had hurricane winds this week in Ireland given that the sea temperature has risen by 2° Celsius. We might not have another hurricane next year or the year after, but we can be certain we will experience the same at some point and that it will happen more often. That is down to climate change, notwithstanding the denials of Deputies Danny and Michael Healy-Rae.

The Minister of State has a great heart. I saw him interviewed on television when he was fighting the brave battle in Athlone. We all can fight those battles in our own communities, but we must also have a larger vision. Unfortunately, there was loss of life in this country on Monday, something which occurs on a much larger scale in Third World countries. When flooding happens in Pakistan and India, for example, one incident may result in as many as 800 deaths. If we are not prepared to show leadership in meeting the challenges we face in this regard, we should not be in politics. We must stop bowing down to the vested interest groups. Instead, we must challenge them with scientific facts. We must win the argument, gain friends and build in strength. It is not a popular place to be because it requires one to challenge the agricultural community, the motor manufacturing sector and the fossil fuel industries. If we continue as we are, however, we will miss the targets for which we signed up and consequently face a bill of €400 million per annum after 2020.

The Minister of State has shown leadership on climate change in many ways but, unfortunately, the Government and the Minister, Deputy Denis Naughten, have not shown the same. The reality is that we will see more and more problems with flooding and other effects of climate change. The challenge for potato growers in Donegal will remain as will the problems for cereal farmers throughout the country, who have experienced disastrous yields in recent years. The Government must show leadership on these matters but, even if it does, we will not see a benefit in the next ten years.Those who will gain from the leadership we show now in challenging those vested interests and making those arguments are our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. What type of country do we want to leave them? Are we going to tell our grandchildren that temperatures have increased by two to three degrees because we did nothing and continued to burn turf? Are we going to tell them that we had to bow to the coal industry and continue burning coal at Moneypoint or will we take a giant step forward and move towards sustainable investment in our energy? We need to move quickly. We have already missed an opportunity in the budget and side stepped the issue, having not provided for investment in electric vehicles, including buses.

Photo of Michelle MulherinMichelle Mulherin (Fine Gael)
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That is not true.

Photo of Kevin HumphreysKevin Humphreys (Labour)
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We have not in any way challenged the effects of the diesel engine on urban areas across the country. We have started off badly and poorly. We now need to step up to the mark for the sake of our children and grandchildren. I do not want to have to tell them that I remained silent and protected the vested interests, that I said nothing because it was unpopular and, if I did so, I would not gain any votes from it. This has to stop now because not only will our neighbours be flooded, but our grandchildren will have to move from coastal areas. We must show the leadership which, sadly, we have not shown up to now.

I call on the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, to step up to the mark within Government, in the same way he stepped up to the mark in Athlone in regard to the flooding from the Shannon of Athlone. We must show leadership and it must start today.

Photo of Paddy BurkePaddy Burke (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I wish him well in his portfolio. I am sure he will do a wonderful job. He has already proved himself as a back bencher and councillor. I would like to be associated with the expressions of sympathy to the families who lost loved ones over the last couple of days. It is a shocking tragedy for the three families concerned.

The Minister of State is a practical man and I believe his Department can do more to help prevent flooding. In many cases, flooding is caused by the flow of water into the lakes which then flow into the rivers running through small towns, flooding them in the process. I would like to make a suggestion. The Minister of State should consider the installation of weirs on some of the lakes so that we can control them and, in conjunction with the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Deputy Naughten, consider how electricity could be generated from the outflow from the lakes. Weirs would allow us to control the levels of lakes so that they do not run into the rivers and lead to flooding of the type that occurred in places like Crossmolina and Ballina. What I am suggesting will not solve all the problems because, as stated by other Senators, flooding will always be with us. However, it is worthy of consideration. It is possible to control some of the lakes with weirs and at the same time generate energy.

Senator O'Sullivan mentioned green flags. They are very important in terms of educating our children about what is going on, although they do not really understand it. This generation has witnessed the changes that have taken place. During my lifetime I have noticed the increase in rainfall and the changes in temperatures, as I am sure has almost everybody here. We have witnessed the changes and we need to lay the foundations for change and to convey to young people what needs to be done. As stated by other Senators, action must be taken and large countries like America, China, Japan and so on must lead the way in that regard. Ireland is a small country and all we can do is try to get our own house in order and encourage the larger countries to lead the way. Action must be taken if we are to halt the frequency of storms and flooding and, in the case of Spain, Portugal, Australia and America, raging fires. Climate change is affecting regions and continents in different ways. There is no doubt but that the increased frequency of storms, flooding and fires is being caused by the global increase in temperatures.

In regard to flooding, what I have suggested will not help the potato grower or the tillage farmer in Donegal but it would help to control how the rivers flow and at the same time generate electricity.

Photo of Gerard CraughwellGerard Craughwell (Independent)
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I welcome the Minister of State to the House. This is the first time I have had the opportunity to welcome him here. Prior to the Minister of State coming to this House, he was knee-deep in water trying to assist communities. His response in Donegal was second to none. He was in the area within hours of what occurred and he reassured the community. I have tremendous respect for the position he has taken and the work he has done. He is to be complimented on it. His job is a difficult one. I do not know of any other Minister that has been asked to act as King Canute to keep the tide out. That is certainly what the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, is being asked to do.

Senator Paddy Burke is correct that this generation has witnessed the changes. I recall the Saturday morning of Hurricane Debbie in the 1960s. It was a beautiful morning but by 9 p.m. the promenade in Salthill, which is close to where I live, was flooded. In those days, to get to school I had to walk down Threadneedle Road, along the promenade and up Dalysfort Road. Flooding was something we rarely saw up as far as my house but frequently saw along the promenade. While we must take climate change seriously, we cannot stop flooding overnight. Senator Burke is correct that large carbon guzzling countries like the United States, China and so on have a huge responsibility to the rest of the world to clean up their acts. We will clean up ours. I know the Minister of State and the Government are committed to doing that.

There is no doubt that we face further floods and all types of damage as we move forward. We are told that Hurricane Ophelia is a taste of what is to come. One of my concerns, which I voiced yesterday to the House and I wish to bring to the attention of the Minister of State today, is our lack of preparedness for a major crisis such as the flooding in Donegal and Hurricane Ophelia. The Minister of State was quick off the mark in Donegal. I recall ringing a county councillor in Donegal that morning and suggesting to him that a Bailey bridge be sought for Donegal to replace one of the bridges that had been swept away. That Bailey bridge had to be brought from Cork to Donegal and put in place by troops from the Curragh. We were told - we heard this previously in relation to flooding in the United States - that a corps of engineers was in place. Our corps of engineers was cut by one third during the 2012 reorganisation of the Defence Forces. There are 102 members of the corps of engineers. The truth is that there are 30 available today.

In regard to chainsaw operators, we were told yesterday these were available from the Defence Forces. There are two qualified chainsaw operators north of the line Dublin to Galway. There are ten heavy plant assets available to the Defence Forces, only two of which are operational because we do not have trained personnel. I sometimes think the Minister of State is operating with his hands tied behind his back. In terms of civil powers, the Defence Forces is his last line of assistance.We must step back and consider what we have done to the Defence Forces over the past five years. A total of 3,000 members have walked out, highly qualified, trained people who we have replaced with recruits. What is now happening of course is that half of the recruits are walking out before they have finished their training. The Minister of State needs the kind of help that he can always rely on. We saw this during Storm Ophelia. When the HSE needed to move staff in the storm, it was the Defence Forces who came to the rescue. Rather than criticise the Minister of State, I ask him instead to go back and talk to the Cabinet and explain to them that we need to be prepared for what is coming. Bailey bridges should be available in Athlone and in Donegal; we should not have to wait for one to be dragged across the country. It is time we sat down and reappraised the reorganisation of the Defence Forces, which was an unmitigated disaster. It leaves Ministers like Deputy Moran, who are out there on the front line trying to meet the needs of communities, with their hands tied behind their backs.

I visited the National Ploughing Championships, as I am sure the Minister of State did himself, and I saw there some of the recent innovations that have been developed to deal with flooding. The Office of Public Works, OPW, should look at some of the solutions put forward and should start appraising what it believes could be recommended to households and to communities. I saw some very interesting approaches there but of course I am not qualified to judge whether they might be of any value. They certainly looked really good. The OPW needs to step up to the mark in this regard and appraise the various possibilities available in the country and draw up a list of recommended flooding solutions. We have to do something for the future here but we must also deal with the world in which we are living and must provide the citizens with the security they need. This may also mean relocating families and razing houses to the ground that are simply too close to water and in areas that are too low-lying.

I thank the Minister of State for his work and the people of the country will do the same. I spoke to people in County Donegal who were blown away by the speed at which the Minister of State arrived up there to meet them, so I compliment him on that.

Photo of Maria ByrneMaria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State for coming in here today to listen to our concerns about flooding. The last time I spoke to him concerned the area of Montpelier, County Limerick. A house there had been flooded twice over - the flood actually went in one door and out the other - and the Minister of State released funding to deal with it. The local authority there is currently carrying out the work and this time around, fortunately, the house in question was not flooded. I thank him for that. I wish to compliment the whole-of-Government approach to dealing with Storm Ophelia. While some claim we were not prepared, a lot of preparation was put in. I also thank the front-line workers who went above and beyond the call of duty, putting themselves out there to deal with problems as they arose and then with the subsequent clean-up. Some people are currently without electricity but this is being restored as quickly as possible.

On the issue of flooding, I will concentrate here on my home area of Limerick. We had horrific flooding in 2014 and the Minister of State's predecessor at that time released funding in order that works could be carried out. I am concerned, however, that local authorities do not always draw down the full amount of funding allocated to them, something I saw happen in Corbally. Corbally did not flood this time around but it might have done so had the wind blown differently. The area has suffered severe flooding many times. While some works had been done, not all of the projects applied for were carried out. This is what concerns me because in the event of future flooding, the area could suffer once again. Land is also being eroded in the area of Lisnagry, where the Mulcair drainage scheme was carried out several years ago. I know that the Minister of State's section has been made aware of this by local farmers, and that a pledge has been made to keep it under observation. Bits of the land and of the embankment are being washed away there and the situation needs to be addressed. What is important here is that we prepare for the future. We cannot rest on our laurels waiting for something to happen. We have to look at vulnerable areas, at areas that have had problems in the past and where there might be weak points along the River Shannon and the rest of the country's rivers. It is very important that we look at these weak spots and see if they can be strengthened. It might be time to call out to the local authorities to carry out surveys along the banks of the rivers to ascertain what flooding protections might be put in place. While the tide reached the highest point and while the county was on high-risk alert for quite a while, the river eventually abated and Limerick was not badly flooded this time. We need to look at the weak points, however, and see how they might be enhanced and strengthened for the future.

Photo of James ReillyJames Reilly (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State and wish him well in his portfolio. I could spend time here talking about coal in China, about individual conspicuous energy consumption in the United States or about deforestation in Brazil and so forth. What affects us here in this country, however, are major recurring events, sometimes not so major, in fact, but occurring rather on a local level. In my own area of Fingal, for example, one can see coastal erosion that was not there before, shifting up one end of the beach. One then hears stories of similar cases from the 1940s and 1950s.

When it comes to flooding, I think we can all agree that prevention is better than cure. I want to focus on the area of Portrane here. We have had Ministers visit before and money was given to ensure that action be taken to build flood defences. One house in the area is in danger of falling into the sea, while there is a section of the beach where, should a breach occur, a whole housing estate on the low-lying land behind it would be cut off. One end of the Burrow would be cut off, in fact. I want to take advantage of today's debate to appeal to the Minister of State to remind the OPW that this issue in Portrane has not gone away. As Senator Byrne pointed out, had high tide coincided with high wind on Monday we might be in a very different position today. Like others, I commend the Government on its actions in preparing for this storm and in communicating to the vast bulk of the population the seriousness of the matter and the need to take precautions. I would, however, also like to invite the Minister of State to come down to Portrane again at some point to see the situation in the Burrow for himself. I would like him to take the opportunity to put in place the kind of precautionary measures that would save many homes and prevent future difficulties for all concerned.

Photo of Kieran O'DonnellKieran O'Donnell (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister of State back to the House and commend him and his colleagues on how Operation Ophelia was managed. It was a very difficult situation but it was handled in the only way it could be handled. Information was disseminated and prudent decisions taken, certainly with regard to the closing of schools, which always poses a very difficult situation for parents like myself. When people get a chance to further reflect on this at the weekend it will become clear that this was the only course of action to ensure children's safety.The CEO of Limerick City and County Council, Conn Murray, was interviewed on local radio on Tuesday morning. His observation was that if the temporary measures that were put in place in terms of sandbagging and so forth were not put in place, Limerick city would have been flooded. Part of the reason is that Limerick City and County Council has probably become as expert in dealing with floods as any local authority. Over the past five or six years, we have had two major flooding situations with the Shannon in terms of tides and more particularly in the Castleconnell and Montpelier areas. On both occasions, Castleconnell and Montpelier were saved because of the work of the local authority. The water breached the banks of St. Mary's Park in the city, but over the weekend, areas like Clancy Strand and Athlunkard Street in the city were saved because the council workers went out and put up major sandbags and major temporary structures along the banks of the Shannon. That is only temporary. The Minister of State is aware.

I raised the CFRAM study as a Commencement matter in the Seanad last week. I note that the Minister of State made reference to it as well as during his appearance on TV3 last night. It is expected to be published by the end of the year. It is of huge importance to us in Limerick because if there was a flood in the morning, everyone in Limerick could say which areas would be flooded. The areas would be Castleconnell, Montpelier, Mount Shannon Road, Annacotty, Corbally, Athlunkard and St. Mary's Park. In the main, those areas will be exposed and require flood measures. In respect of Castleconnell, when the initial CFRAM draft plan went out, it indicated that it was felt that there were no properties at risk. It had been nearly flooded on two occasions. Luckily, there was a further public consultation. I hope that will be rectified in the final plan. Given my request last week, it is very opportune that the Minister of State has kindly agreed to visit Limerick and see Limerick city and the environs - areas like Castleconnell, Montpelier, Annacotty and Mount Shannon Road - to see exactly what the position is on the ground. Certainly people in the local authority are looking forward to the Minister visiting coming down. He knows from first-hand experience at the coal face in Athlone what the position is and its impact on people's lives.

I commend the Government, the public services and the media. The media did a fantastic public service locally and nationally and worked hand in hand with the services and Government. Regrettably, there were three fatalities. Like everyone else, I offer my sympathies to the three families. It shows the power of nature and that we cannot take anything for granted. I look forward to welcoming the Minister of State to Limerick. It is to be hoped we will finalise a date relatively shortly prior to the finalisation of the CFRAM study. The Minister of State will get to see at first hand how critical it is for us to have permanent defences in place in Limerick city and the environs and how critical it is for the areas I have mentioned. I look forward to seeing the CFRAM study when it is published.

Photo of Paul CoghlanPaul Coghlan (Fine Gael)
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This is my first opportunity to welcome the Minister of State to the House and I do so wholeheartedly. I am sorry I was not here for his earlier contribution but I look forward to hearing his closing remarks.

Photo of Kevin  MoranKevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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I thank the Senators for their kind words. I want to bring them back to the days prior to the negotiations with Government. When the deal was done and we took the bold move to go into government, I met the then Taoiseach. I could have gone for almost any job I wanted and I would have got it. I looked for one job. I looked for the Office of Public Works, OPW, with responsibility for flooding. Why? It was because I am passionate and believe in the OPW. I believe it can deliver on schemes throughout the country. During the days and nights afterwards, people asked me why I took the OPW because they told me they are the hardest people to work with. I can assure everyone in the House that the OPW is the best outfit I have ever worked with and I have worked with a great number of people throughout my political career and as a self-employed person. I can tell Senators that I have faith in the OPW and I ask them to have faith in it as well.

Regarding the comments made about Inishowen in Donegal, in any place I visit, I am not one of these Ministers who arrives in on a white horse and rides out never to be heard from again. I will be visiting Donegal on Monday afternoon to Tuesday to see the good work that was done by the officials, elected representatives and the people of Donegal, who suffered the most. I will also reassure the people that my Department is working very closely with Donegal County Council to make sure we have defences, channel cleaning and whatever is necessary to help one another. Local authorities and councillors need to work more closely at budget time to provide money to clean channels. When we have floods, everyone appeals to Government. It is a case of Government must deliver this and that, but elected members in areas where flooding occurs have a huge duty to ring-fence money at budget time. When they come to my Department, I will do the job. We have changed areas in the minor works scheme to allow moneys to be spent wisely and correctly to help people. I am very close to making an announcement where I will pick four counties for a pilot scheme for channel cleaning. It is not a major amount of money but I want to get local authorities working in a situation where they can get over environmental issues and other major issues they may encounter through fisheries and parks and wildlife in order that we can work together and start a pilot scheme that can develop and become bigger. I am working with the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government with regard to that.

Regarding farmers and other people who were mentioned, this area does not fall under my remit but I am a member of Government and if the Senator puts those questions to me, I will gladly bring them to the relevant Ministers. Regarding climate change, for the first time in the past ten years, Government has put money across every Department. It is a step in the right direction. Yes, we would like to do more but it is unfair to criticise us and say that we are not leading. We are leading and are working very well. I would like to see far more investment in it. We are taking small steps but they are steps in a positive direction.

People know where I stand on insurance. They know that the OPW builds walls and works with insurance companies, but it is under the remit of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform. People come to me about insurance. I have met insurance companies. About three or four weeks ago, we put suggestions to them and are awaiting a response. I will gladly keep working with the insurance companies.

Mayo was mentioned by Senator Mulherin. I assure her that since I took office, and I would point out that I am only four months in the job, I have taken Mayo by the scruff of the neck, as it were. I want to deliver. The Minister for Rural and Community Development is on the path to my door every day of the week, so I can assure the Senator that everything that can be done to fast-track things is being done. I am close to making a decision when I get a report back relating to Mayo.

Regarding Athlone, Senator McFadden asked what my legacy might be. I do not want a legacy. I want to help and protect people and make sure that whatever can be done will be done. I assure the Senator that everything possible is being done for Athlone and the greater Shannon region. Many a Minister has come through this House and made promises, but I am the first person to put the diggers on the Shannon since Queen Victoria. It was never done before and I assure the Senator that when I went looking for a licence, I applied for eight licences and received seven. Work was done in five areas. The other two areas were too high but that work will start in the new year. That maintenance programme will continue. Athlone has plenty of channel cleaning.That work is continuing. She will know from her time as a councillor that the Al river flooded at Willow Park and work there is also being done. All these good things are happening. Prior to my election to the Dáil in 2016, we talked about four schemes for Athlone. There are now eight schemes relating to Athlone. We will hopefully be starting one of those schemes in the next week or so and major works will be taking place on the Shannon.

The Senator also mentioned Meelick Weir. I hope to make more announcements in that regard in the near future. I consider Mayo, Athlone, Limerick and Cork as the areas that need to be protected as a matter of urgency. That is not taking away from the other small towns and villages on which I am working closely with the local authorities. I am meeting all the local authority executives to reassure them that my Department is open. We have money to spend and we will work closely with them. We will do that together, as a unit.

Some people referred to CFRAM and stated that we are breaking the EU rules. That is not the case. We are working very closely with the EU and updating it on every move we make. By the end of this year we will have CFRAM in place. CFRAM is not, as some Members of this House and the Lower House believe, the bible in the context of fixing everything. It is a slow lead-in process to make things happen over the next five to seven years. The Government is fully committed to CFRAM and I believe we will deliver on it. Even when CFRAM is announced, at times in the future certain Senators will have me back in here saying, "My house never flooded; why am I now in a flood plain?" Senators will have to get used to this. The Department will defend these houses, but it will not be possible to protect every house. That is why we are looking at the home-protection scheme. I hope to be able to roll out something in the new year in that regard to give support to the people most affected in rural areas.

We all talk about CFRAM protecting urban areas. In that context, people might ask about the position in rural areas. I can inform them that this is the first part; the second part is still to come. I will work closely with all Departments to ensure that we deliver in this regard.

I could go on all day and all night talking about different issues. I have enormous support from the Government and from the Taoiseach. He has contacted me on a daily basis in recent weeks to ensure that everything required for the different things that happened in recent days was in place. There is support from him, from my Department and from right across the House. That is no different from what happened in Donegal. The Taoiseach was very much to the forefront. When I sought to get the Army involved to assist the local authority in Donegal - Senator McFadden and I saw this again in Athlone - and to help with private houses there, he gave me the green light. That is how we were able to assist people in Donegal.

I disagree with what Senator Craughwell said about the Army. As a person who has been working with the first responders, not just in the past few days but also over recent years, once they are required to come in, they have always been first there and have done an excellent and successful job. That is not taking away from the good work of the local authorities. They have to be commended on all the good work they did in recent days, as should the Garda, the Civil Defence, local volunteers and communities at large. No Member of the House wants to wake up every morning and see flooding and storms. A Senator mentioned that another storm is due to arrive at the weekend. That is not official yet.

Photo of Grace O'SullivanGrace O'Sullivan (Green Party)
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It is highly likely.

Photo of Kevin  MoranKevin Moran (Longford-Westmeath, Independent)
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It is not official yet and I am hoping and praying that it will not come. If it is official and it comes, we are talking about 40 mm of rain. Some nights I might lose sleep worrying about rain because I know how tight the position is in Mayo and Athlone. My good friends here have spoken about Limerick and Cork. My door is open if any Senators want to meet me or invite me to go visit their areas. I will visit Monaghan in the next couple of weeks at the invitation of the Minister, Deputy Heather Humphreys. I am not here to talk politics or score points, I am here for the people of this country and to deliver that to which they are entitled.

Sitting suspended at 5.15 p.m. and resumed at 5.40 p.m.