I wish to share my time with Deputy Enright.
Adjournment Debate. - Flood Relief.
Is that agreed? Agreed.
Thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, for selecting this important motion. I also thank the Minister of State, Deputy Cullen, for being present as he has a certain amount of responsibility in relation to the River Shannon.
James Dillon who, as Minister for Agriculture, visited flood victims in 1954 to view the extent of flooding, told his officials to treat the people with dignity and respect and to err on the side of generosity. Dillon gave clearance to the local authority, with the approval of the Government, to appeal any legislation or regulation which created obstacles or hindered the alleviation of the suffering of the people at that time. This winter flooding was the same as in 1954. Some of the Minister's colleagues do not seem to realise it, but the water level at the Shannon weir in Athlone reached the level it reached in 1954 when the worst floods on record were experienced by the people in the Shannon basin.
I was dumbfounded this evening by a response I received from the Minister in relation to compensation for farmers. The Minister stated: "I have no plans for a special fodder compensation scheme". Will the Minister tell me how I can go back to my constituency, to my parish, and tell a farmer that all he has is his home with a foot of grass around it? His hay shed is under two feet of water. All his round bales of silage are gone. His whole farm is gone and he has to lease land from his next door neighbour for his cattle. How am I to tell him he will not be compensated? He is only one of a small number of farmers who have been severely affected by flooding.
Every year we see flooding in the Shannon basin. No one is amazed at that. What we are talking about is the extent of it this winter, not just over the Christmas period but last September when many farmers lost fodder. There is no case of flooding in the Shannon basin in the history of this State when the State did not compensate farmers. However, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development has this evening decided not to give compensation to farmers.
A colleague of mine received a response this evening, I believe from the Department of Finance, to the effect that there is no need for a Shannon authority. Will the Minister of State explain why, given that the ESB, the Office of Public Works, Dúchas, Bord na Móna, Roscommon County Council and four other local authorities, the Inland Waterways, Shannon Fisheries and Coillte have an element of involvement in relation to the water levels of the river Shannon, there is no need for a Shannon authority? The Office of Public Works has reneged on its responsibility to maintain the channel of the Shannon. It has carried out arterial drainage in the past. The Office of Public Works has been given credit for those works. However, it has let water flow into the Shannon without putting maintenance in place. There is a four-mile stretch of the river from Banagher to Meelick where silt, muck and dirt that has gone into the river over the years has to be cleaned up. No one will take responsibility for water levels on the Shannon, for maintaining gates on the Shannon, yet the Government is telling us that there is no need for a Shannon authority. There is a need for immediate funding to compensate farmers and for maintenance of the Shannon.
Regarding the level of the roads in the Shannon basin, two weeks ago an elderly man had to go to Portiuncula Hospital, but the ambulance could not get to him. He had to be taken out on a buckrake and two bales of hay. That is not acceptable in the 21st century.
I thank Deputy Naughten. In regard to the Minister's reply to a Dáil question, there will be outrage that the Minister has refused point blank to compensate farmers for fodder lost in the recent extensive flooding that occurred in December last year and January this year throughout the Shannon catchment area. Many householders and rural dwellers also suffered losses and should also be paid compensation.
This refusal by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development to pay any compensation whatsoever will cause considerable anger among the farming community who have, through no fault of their own, again incurred extensive losses of fodder, damage to their property and homes.
Flooding across the Shannonbridge area was three to four miles wide. It came right into the village of Shannonbridge. The gardens at the backs of the houses were flooded. Across the whole area of Offaly in the Shannon catchment area considerable losses were incurred by farmers. I asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development to request Teagasc to carry out a survey of the losses incurred and I am disappointed that not alone will he not have a survey carried out but he will not pay compensation.
We need a River Shannon forum as a statutory authority with responsibility to monitor flooding, maintain the river channels and regulate water levels. There is a necessity also to provide funding to ensure that at least the channels are cleared. It would be a positive move if a certain amount of work were carried out. The reply today will cause considerable upset. I ask the Minister to undertake further examination of this matter at ministerial level.
I thank Deputy Naughten for raising this matter and Deputy Enright for his contribution.
The Minister for Finance and I are acutely aware of the inconvenience and distress caused by the recent flooding of the Shannon and elsewhere in areas such as south Galway, Donegal and Ennis. While many of these areas are subject to annual flooding, the recent problems have been exacerbated by unusually high levels of rainfall. According to the Meteorological Office, rainfall last month was twice the normal December average. In addition, there were particularly high levels of rainfall in September and October. These conditions contributed significantly to the flooding of the Shannon catchment area where, I understand, flooding levels were at their worst for 50 years. In Jamestown, on the upper Shannon, water levels have been recorded at a historic high level. I appreciate the damage, loss and inconvenience caused, particularly in relation to the flooding of property, the loss and marooning of animals and the disruption caused by a number of access routes being rendered impassable.
The Government is keeping the situation under review and will, where necessary, bring forward appropriate measures. It is not helpful at this stage to discuss what measures might be considered other than to say that what both I and the Minister for Finance would like to see is clear evidence of increased co-operation on the part of those agencies which have interests in and responsibilities for various aspects of the river. However, as my colleague, the Minister for Finance, said today in reply to a parliamentary question, there are no immediate plans to introduce a compensation package in respect of those affected by the recent flooding along the Shannon.
The position in relation to the Shannon is that there has been a consensus over a considerable period of time that capital works to relieve flooding are not viable and there is no evidence to suggest that this position has changed. As no arterial drainage works were ever carried out on the river, my office has no maintenance responsibility for the river. However, I am conscious of the problems experienced in and around Athlone during the recent flooding and my office has been in contact with Westmeath County Council in this regard. The Minister for Public Enterprise, Deputy O'Rourke, visited the area and was in contact with me during the flooding.
Notwithstanding the position in relation to the Shannon, my office is actively involved in addressing the flooding issue elsewhere in the country. The office has a statutory responsibility to maintain or complete arterial drainage works and will spend £7.5 million on it this year. An independent review, undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers and published last year, concluded that this work was very worthwhile, especially with regard to the relief of urban and town flooding. A further £7.5 million will be spent on the alleviation of flood problems in built up areas. These will involve the design and construction of urban flood relief schemes in Dunmanway, Cappaghmore, Carrick-on-Suir and Kilkenny and schemes will be advanced in Clonmel, Carlow and Waterford.
In addition to these measures, the Minister for Finance allocated £2.5 million in the budget for special works in south County Galway. A steering group has been set up to bring forward specific proposals aimed at alleviating the problem. The group is chaired by my office and includes representatives of Galway County Council, the IFA, the ICMSA and Dúchas. I strongly endorse the kind of co-operation being demonstrated here and I am confident it will result in measures to relieve the flooding which has the support of all interested parties.
Since 1996 in excess of £600,000 has been paid out to 14 families who, following the particularly bad flooding in south County Galway in 1995, were relocated under the home relocation scheme. I assure Deputy Naughten of the Government's concern about the difficulties experienced by so many after the recent flooding and I reiterate the commitment made by the Minister for Finance to keep the situation under review and, where necessary, to bring forward appropriate measures.