I am delighted that this matter is being discussed as I do not think anyone fully realises the extent of the damage caused by the recent spell of bad weather. I was surprised that the Opposition had to table a motion to have the matter discussed in this House. Last week efforts were made to have it discussed as a matter of urgency but time was not provided for a debate. It is a matter of regret that we had to wait until this week but I hope, following this debate, action will be taken to alleviate the hardship caused by the flooding and storm damage in recent weeks.
During the recent Packard dispute there was reference daily on news bulletins to its effects. In that instance the livelihoods of a large number of people were at stake and, rightly, it was at the top of the news agenda. However, the total number of livelihoods now in jeopardy as a consequence of the recent flooding and storm damage is equal in number and I hope the Government will give it the same priority.
Many people are suffering because their homes have been flooded and personal household goods have been destroyed at huge financial cost. As pointed out by previous speakers, people living in areas prone to flooding find it almost impossible to obtain insurance cover. For the farming community the problems are equally grave.
In many cases we are talking about the household damage and, in addition, severe loss of livestock, fodder, etc. I will return to this subject later. It is of great importance that any measures to be introduced should be comprehensive in nature and should look to the total recompense of people who, through no fault of their own, suffered serious loss due to the recent flooding and storm damage.
Ba mhaith liom aird an Aire a dhíriú ar fhadhb atá thar a bheith trom chúiseach ar chósta Chonamara, is é sin an dochar a rinne na stoirmeacha do bhóithre, do bhallaí, nó do chlaíocha mar a thugaimid orthu, agus an damáiste ar fad atá déanta don talamh ar fad atá le cósta. Tá dochar déanta ar na céannaí agus tá áiteanna le cósta go bhfuil an t-uafás dochair déanta, dochar nach bhfuil aon chaint air.
Rud amháin is féidir glacadh leis; bhí a fhios ag na feirmeoirí fadó céard a bhí á dhéanamh acu agus ar an ábhar sin is féidir leat glacadh leis áit ar bith go bhfuil na claíocha tógtha i ndeisceart Chonamara nach áit é go h-iondúil go dtéann an fharraige. Tá scéalta, agus tá sé feicthe againn fhéin, an damáiste a rinne na stoirmeacha le cúpla seachtain anuas ar an dreapa talúna le cósta. Tá claíocha leagtha leis an gcósta ar fad ag síneadh ó Chathair na Gaillimhe siar go Carna agus siar ó thuaidh ansin go Béal an Chaoláire Rua.
Tá gá le scéimeanna speisialta leis na claíocha a thógáil, leis na garraithe a ath-thógáil. Tá a fhios agam go bhfaighaimid scéal ó na húdaráis nach fiú na garraithe seo a shábháil mar nach bhfuil ann ach garraithe beaga ach do na daoine lena mbaineann sé leo is garraithe tábhachtacha iad, is cuid dá gcuid talúna iad agus is é an t-aon talamh amháin atá acu agus is é an t-aon talamh amháin a bhéas acu. Mar sin, tá gá le scéimeanna a réiteadh an fhadhb seo do na daoine agus a chuireas caoi uair amháin eile ar na ballaí atá leagtha, ar na céanna atá leagtha agus ar na bóithre go bhfuil damáiste déanta dhóibh.
Ba mhaith aird an Aire Stáit a dhíriú go speisialta ar fhadhbanna atá ag éirí go mór ar na hOileáin Árain, áit a bhfuil creim na costa go síor-leanúnach ag déanamh an t-uafás dochair agus áit go bhfuil an-contúirt ann, munandéanfaí rud éigin go luath, go scriosfar pé beag talún atá ag cuid mhaith de na feirmeoirí atá ar na h-oileáin.
I ask the Minister of State to consider a remedial package for the Connemara area that would protect the needs of the farming community there. It is important that special schemes be introduced to reinstate the piers, roads and all the other infrastructure that have been damaged. In addition, serious damage has been done to the stone walls that bound the fields in those areas and many boulders have been thrown up on the land. There is need for remedial action in this case.
In that context, I was disappointed to receive a reply from An Roinn Ealaíon, Cultúir agus Gaeltachta, ar a bhfuil tú fhéin mar Aire Stáit inniú, saying that in regard to storm damage and coastal erosion, the Department of Arts, Culture and and the Gaeltacht has no function in the Gaeltacht in relation to remedial works. That was a most disappointing reply and I hope the Minister of State can influence the Minister to reconsider that policy. This matter is intimately related to the functions of the Department and I hope that an issue which is very close to the hearts of the people of the Gaeltacht will be readdressed.
On the general issue of coastal erosion being caused by storm damage, we must have a comprehensive plan. I understand a small amount of EU funding has been made available for coastal erosion and I am aware that Galway County Council has made some submissions in this regard. That plan, however, falls far short of the problem. I accept that the money available is limited but it is important that comprehensive plans are drawn up to ensure that coastal erosion is prevented. I accept the sea will not be held back in every area but where this is not possible it is important that a scheme be instituted whereby people who are losing land on a yearly basis through coastal erosion would be compensated for the loss of that land. To those people the loss of the land means the loss of their livelihood and to date no compensation has been given to them.
I wish to refer to the specific area of Gort; my colleague, Deputy McCormack, has already spoken about this area. I wish to put on the record the scale of the damage we are facing in this area. From figures given to me, I understand that more than 60 houses in that area were flooded, 40 roads were closed, and 34 are still flooded; the land of 400 farmers has been flooded and 200 farmers have lost fodder. I will give an example of how serious is this loss of fodder. One farmer has had 185 bales of silage destroyed which, at £15 per bale, is worth £2,775. To many small farmers in the West, that is an unsustainable loss.
We are facing the flooding of 15,000 acres in south Galway and north Clare. It must be remembered that we are not talking about long term flooding. One of the difficulties in this area, as the Minister of State no doubt is aware, is that the flooding will last for a considerable time because the drainage is subterranean and nobody knows when the floods will subside. In a river bank or tidal situation, the damage can be very severe over a short period but at least the effects are not continuous whereas in the areas to which I have referred, one is dependent on a series of subterranean channels to drain the water.
As the land drains in the higher areas, flooding can increase in the lower areas; in fact, the draining of one area can lead to the flooding of another. There is a need for a package of compensation for farmers whose land will be effectively non-usuable for a considerable time to come. I will give an example of how little the waters have receded. A helicopter made a special flight to drop food, fuel oil and hay into the area recently. I give credit to the Government for organising this and thank the Ministers for the action taken. My understanding is that this will have to continue in future weeks. This gives some idea of the scale of the damage. What is required now is a comprehensive review of the damage resulting from inability to use land, damage to houses, the loss of fodder, the problems of coastal erosion and the damage caused by boulders thrown up on the land as happened in south Connemara. What is needed is an urgent and comprehensive plan to deal with these issues. I hope that we will not get a small package of aid that is selective and limited. All the people seriously affected by storm damage and flooding should be aided.
We must once again look at our policy on arterial drainage. I welcome the Government's commitment to reviewing the Arterial Drainage Act. However, we must go further. Large grants were given in the 1970s for land drainage and much land was drained. In addition work was done on rivers. However, it seems to be forgotten that the effect of draining land in certain areas is not permanent and work must be ongoing. It is wrong to think that one can drain land, streams and small rivers and think it can then be left. I hope the Minister will look at the possibility of introducing a comprehensive scheme to drain small and large rivers to prevent the kind of flooding we have had on this occasion, some of which is avoidable whereas some is just an act of God that we have to live with. In those cases awarding compensation is appropriate but in the other cases there is a need to review drainage policy.
Ba mhaith liom na tuillte a tháinig isteach ar Chladach na Gaillimhe agus isteach go cathair na Gaillimhe féin a lua. Rinne siad sin an-damáiste agus tá go leor daoine sa cheantar sin nach bhfuil árachas orthu; go mbeidh cailliúintí móra orthu i ngeall ar na tuillte a tháinig isteach ar Bhóthar na Trá agus isteach sa Chladach i nGaillimh. Tá súil agam, nuair a thiocfaidh an pacáiste atáthar ag rá linn a thiocfaidh — amárach nó arú amárach — go mbeidh na daoine sin san áireamh ann freisin nuair a fhógrófar é. Fadhb an-mhór í seo: fabhb a chosnóidh airgead.
Mar a dúirt mé ar dtús, ní féidir linn dearmad a dhéanamh ar an gcineál chúiteamh a thabharfaí dá mbeadh 1,000, 1,500 nó 2,000 duine ag cailleadh a bpostanna nó dá mbeadh tithe scriosta ar bhealach ar bith eile ar an oiread sin daoine. Mar sin, creidim go bhfuil dualgas ar an Rialtas féachaint chuige go ndéanfar cúiteamh a thabhairt do na daoine ar fad a chaill an oiread sin sna tuillte le gairid.
Tá gá ann freisin go ndéanfar cinnte pleananna a réiteach le féachaint an bhfuil bealach ar bith, go mórmhór i ndeisceart na Gaillimhe, leis an damáiste atá á dhéanamh ag stoirmeacha le blianta beaga anuas a mhaolú. Ní féidir linn dul ar aghaidh sa cheantar sin bliain i ndiaidh bliana le tuillte móra; le feirm-eoirí ag cailleadh airgid go trom i ngeall ar fhadhbanna atá áirithe sa cheantar sin maidir le draenáil talúna.
Tá gá freisin athbhreathnú a dhéanamh ar pholasaí na Roinne féachaint le dualgais agus cúramaí maidir le creimeadh talúna agus damáiste stoirme a thabhairt do Roinn na Gaeltachta. Caithfidh mé a rá, mar dhuine atá ag cónaí sa Ghaeltacht, go bhfuil díomá an tsaoil orm go bhfuil an oiread tarraingt siar ag Roinn na Gaeltachta — an Roinn Ealaíon, Cultúir agus Gaeltachta mar a thugtar air anois — ó chuid de na feidhmeanna a bhí acu 20 agus 30, nuair a bhí scéimeanna beaga ar fáil do mhuintir na Gaeltachta agus a réitigh cuid mhaith de na fadhbanna a bhí acu. Tá cuid mhaith de na scéimeanna a thugtar isteach anois i bhfad ró-mhór agus i bhfad ró-chasta agus níl siad feil-iúnach don chineál saoil atá ag an bpobal ar an gcósta agus amuigh ar na h-oileáin.
Tá súil agam, nuair a dhéanfar an chás seo a scrúdú, nach ndéanfar dear-mad ar na h-oileáin ar fad ar an gcósta a fhulaingíonn go leor chuile bhliain i ngeall ar stoirmeacha agus a d'fhulaing go leor i mbliana. Tá go leor talúna i mbaol orthu agus ní amháin talamh ach tithe, bóithre agus chuile rud eile. Tá siad ag lorg cúnaimh, agus déanfaidh siad an obair iad féin má fhaigheann siad cúnamh, le chuid den damáiste a rinneadh a réiteach.
Ar an ábhar sin ba mhaith liom tac-adh leis an rún atá curtha ar aghaidh ag Páirtí Fhianna Fáil os comhair na Dála. Creidim gur maith an rud é gur phléadh an t-ábhar seo anocht. Chuir sé ríméad orm a fheiceáil anocht an oiread de lucht an Rialtais a bhfuil spéis acu san ábhar seo an tseachtain seo. Tá súil agam go mbeidh siad in ann áiteamh ar an Rialtas beart de réir a mbriathar a dhéanamh anois; seasamh lena bhfocal agus dul agus rud éigin ceart, cóir a dhéanamh do na daoine seo ar fad agus do na daoine ar fud na tíre. Luadh Ceatharlach agus áiteanna eile atá tar éis an t-uafás airgid agus stoic a chaill-eadh i ngeall ar an tuillte a tháing le gairid. Creidim go bhfuil sé i lámh an Rialtais anois gníomhú ar an bhfadhb seo agus tá súil agam go ndéanfar an cás seo a réiteach agus gur pacáiste ceart iomlán a fhógrófar nuair a fhógrófar an pacáiste atá geallta.