Deputy Penrose was in possession. I understand Deputy O'Sullivan is taking the 11 minutes remaining in the time slot.
Private Members' Business. - Shannon River Statutory Authority: Motion (Resumed).
The following motion was moved by Deputy Connaughton on Tuesday, 18 April 2000:
That Dáil Éireann calls on the Government to establish a Shannon River statutory authority.
Debate resumed on amendment No.a1:
To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following:
issues relating to the management of the River Shannon are hereby referred to the Joint Committee on Public Enterprise and Transport for a report pursuant to paragraph (2)(a)(iv) of the committee's orders of reference.
–(Minister of State at the Department of Finance).
I welcome the opportunity to participate in this important debate. It is evident, given the contributions last night and particularly the Minister's contribution, there is a need for a Shannon River authority. I have had no doubt about the need for such an authority for a number of years. I grew up by the Shannon, beside the head race, as it joins Ardnacrusha with the river at Killaloe, and have had an interest in the River Shannon since my youth. I am saddened at the deterioration of many aspects of the River Shannon over the years, particularly the deterioration in the water quality. That is one of the most important issues that needs to be addressed although the flooding is the immediate concern. There are many other concerns that need to be addressed. It is important that a River Shannon authority is set up as soon as possible.
I participated in the water quality management plans for the estuary area, the Shannon and Lough Derg as a member of a local authority. Subsequently, the mid-west regional authority, of which I am a former member, dealt with Lough Derg. In the course of these debates it became obvious there are a large number of bodies involved. Last night there were various estimates ranging from 29 statutory bodies to more than 30 bodies involved.
When one tries to get something done, whether to clear silt, build up banks or to improve the water quality, inevitably one has to deal with a number of local authorities and various other bodies. I do not think we need to make the argument for the necessity of setting up such an authority. Given that the River Shannon flows downwards, various things that happen up-stream in a particular area affect what happens lower down the river. In regard to silt, drainage and so on, there is a real problem about who is responsible for addressing these issues. In his contribution, the Minister said his responsibility is limited in the whole area of waterways and that most of the bodies were outside his control. In effect, there is no scope for co-ordination. Even though there is a forum there is no solid legislative backing for the operation of such a forum. Therefore, it is essential that we move as quickly as possible to set up an authority.
I question the Minister's proposal to transfer the issue to the Joint Committee on Public Enterprise and Transport. It is important that the Bills which have been drafted, particularly the Labour Party Bill, are actively considered and that having the joint committee examine the proposal does not become another time wasting exercise.
My constituency suffered serious flooding last Christmas. I acknowledge the provision of a compensation fund of £250,000 and the contribution of the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dea, in providing that funding for flood relief. I look forward to hearing more details regarding the fund but it is right that people who lost furniture and household equipment and who saw their homes destroyed should be helped. Other Deputies have referred to the traumatic effect of flooding on farmers and householders in other areas. Many of us have seen the destruction at first hand. It is important that people who have suffered are compensated.
We must also ensure that such a thing does not happen again. To do so we must establish an authority to co-ordinate the activities of the various local authorities, the Office of Public Works, the ESB, Bord na Móna and other bodies to ensure a co-ordinated approach to solving the problems of the River Shannon. Limerick Corporation has sent proposals to the Department of the Environment and Local Government for the strengthening of river banks and the making of other provisions to ensure that the threat of flooding can be minimised and, if possible, eliminated. Complications arise in Limerick from the navigation scheme in the Abbey River and the main drainage scheme in Limerick city. However, all Deputies who have a connection to the River Shannon, its tributaries and its catchment area are agreed on the need to co-ordinate the activities of the various bodies in the Shannon catchment area.
Water quality has deteriorated seriously in various parts of the Shannon, its tributaries and lakes and this important issue must be addressed as soon as possible. It is a complicated issue with a number of contributory factors. Waste from agricultural and domestic sources as well as from Bord na Móna contribute to the problem and these factors need to be co-ordinated. I would love to see the return of bathing in the River Shannon in Limerick and along the length of the river and its lakes. It is particularly sad to see the deterioration of lakes such as Lough Derg which used to be clear and a pleasure to swim in but which have become nutrified. The River Shannon authority must be given the power to deal effectively with the various bodies which are polluting the river and its tributaries and restore the water to the clean condition we would all like to see.
The involvement of various bodies, particularly local authorities, must be clarified so that we know who is responsible for the various works which need to be carried out. Expertise in dealing with flooding must be brought together and an effective strategy put in place to ensure that people will not endure the suffering of last winter when they had to leave their houses during the Christmas period. Irrespective of what happens to this Bill, the question of flooding must be addressed. Urgent measures must be taken to minimise the danger of flooding. It is accepted that the river has a flood plain and that some flooding cannot be avoided. However, we must ensure that flooding does not occur in places where it can be prevented.
I wish to share my time with Deputies Doherty, Ellis and Daly.
The formation of a Shannon River authority has been on the political agenda for decades at least. Ten local authorities, several State and semi-State bodies and other bodies have a legitimate and strong interest in the river. It is extremely difficult to envisage a meaningful, proactive and all encompassing role for an overall authority. Would it be some kind of referee between frequently competing and sometimes mutually exclusive interests or would it have a separate additional function currently not within the ambit of any of the existing bodies? If it had either role or both, how would it be constituted and, more importantly, how would it be funded?
I am aware of the now infamous Seanad Bill and its provisions. However, considerable work needs to be done and it will best be done by the joint committee as the Minister proposes. Many people who have been familiar with difficulties in the Shannon for a number of years would have been surprised to hear of the responsibilities of bodies such as the Office of Public Works, the ESB, Waterways Ireland and other bodies. I am sure many people thought that the Office of Public Works had a far greater range of powers relating to the Shannon than it has.
When I was a young boy, I remember an election campaign being fought on the issue of draining the River Fergus. At the same time there were proposals to drain the Shannon and many other local rivers. Most of these proposals came to nought. Almost every initiative or study mentioned by the Minister last night was prompted by a severe flooding incident. He explained that there are reports of various kinds going back 200 years. The Minister said that a dozen or so reports dating from 1938 all come to the same conclusion regarding a problem for which there is no simple solution. Any solution, however it might impact on the situation, would be both complex and costly.
The flooding in December 1954 led to the Rydell report which was published in 1956. That report recommended that a River Shannon inter-agency commission be set up but it also recommended that the commission be advisory rather than have executive powers. The joint committee will have to address the extent of the powers to be exercised by any new body which might be set up. It will be very difficult to reach a determination on that matter but I am confident that the joint committee will do so.
The most recent report was that commissioned by the IFA from Delap and Waller. This came to similar conclusions and stated that no obvious engineering works would address the problems in a meaningful way. Since then the forum established by the Minister of State, Deputy Treacy, has done extremely useful work. When it comes to examining the matter and plot a course forward the joint committee will find that some of the work done by the forum has considerable potential and is a useful reference point.
I come from a farming family and have seen at first hand the devastating effects of flooding on low lying land and the potential of a farmer to develop his property. I have visited homes devastated by flooding in my constituency and elsewhere in the country. It is understandable that people would look to central government and the authorities to come up with a solution which in the medium to long-term will promise some relief from the suffering they have to endure.
Apart from the immediate effects of flooding on farm families and others there is the consideration of water quality which is becoming increasingly important to ordinary people. At one time those with an interest in fishing were saying that there were difficulties with water quality in Lough Derg and elsewhere but now the wider community has its concerns. The Minister of State referred to the need for the joint committee to include this among the matters to be considered in its consideration of the River Shannon and the huge catchment area affected by it. I wish the joint committee well in its deliberations and look forward to its report in due course.
I acknowledge the motion and addendum tabled by the Opposition parties which have made a significant contribution to the debate on the question with which we are dealing and with which I hope we will have a further opportunity to deal at the joint committee. Equally I acknowledge the response of the Government and hope the House will not divide at the conclusion of these proceedings. The joint committee should be afforded an opportunity to look at this complex question in a mature and reasonable way.
While there are no simple answers, there must be a genuine search to find solutions to those aspects which cause considerable difficulties and hardship for homeowners and members of the farming community whose lands are flooded annually resulting in significant losses. While we cannot control the rainfall, there is an obligation on us to ensure the position of such persons is acknowledged by Government and a remedy found within the political system. I hope this and a number of other issues will be addressed by the joint committee.
There are over 30 statutory and voluntary organisations which have a direct or indirect interest in the River Shannon and its tributaries. To ignore the impact of flooding on its tributaries would be to turn a blind eye and I am not prepared to do that. The influence of the River Shannon and its tributaries on the island as a whole is considerable. It impacts on one-fifth of the land mass, is the longest river on these islands and it is a wonderful national asset. Despite this, responsibility for its management has not been assigned to a single authority. This must be taken into account by the joint committee.
Annually the River Shannon is seen in a negative light which causes great hardship and grave loss for a considerable number of people. Despite this it has wonderful potential which we cannot afford to ignore. Those resident in its immediate catchment area should not be deprived of the benefits that would accrue from an acknowledgment that it is a national asset. Its potential for development has not been focused on in an imaginative way and needs to be the subject of examination.
The protection of the River Shannon also needs to be taken into account. It is a special physical feature with an enormous contribution to make. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, it has suffered in recent years in such a way that its potential may be damaged to some degree in the short-term and seriously damaged over a period. This is not good enough. We do not need to be guided in its protection by outside agencies; we should be mature and wise enough as a people to know its importance and that it is in danger of losing its qualities. In time it may be the source of water for the entire country. The quality of its water contributes to the quality of life within the river and has a massive impact on its amenity value.
The River Shannon must be looked at in the context of the promotional opportunities that if offers and its value, not least to the tourism industry. We do not have time to deal in great detail with all the aspects that must be looked at and examined. They should be the subject of serious deliberation, advice and an extraordinary and extensive consultation process involving the many statutory and voluntary organisations and agencies which have a vested interest in the River Shannon.
The River Shannon has been a source of power during the years. This has given rise to conflicts with other interests to which solutions must be found.
The fisheries along the River Shannon are part of a major industry. If one compares the way the River Shannon has been neglected with developments on Lough Neagh one will quickly realise that the River Shannon has a contribution to make to the economy. Suitable industries can be located within its catchment area, of which farming is the backbone. Farming can sustain families on the land with supplementary income from other activities connected with the River Shannon.
The flora and fauna associated with the River Shannon are both unusual and different and should be preserved for future generations. Ornithology is also of interest to many along the River Shannon.
I am not suggesting for one moment that any party should be denied a political contest if that is what it wants but there are so many aspects to be considered that we should try to reach consensus rather than vote on this issue. I compliment the Opposition parties for tabling the motion and addendum which have received a positive response from the Government which in its amendment is suggesting that the matter be referred to the Joint Committee on Public Enterprise and Transport, which I am honoured and privileged to chair. I have no doubt the committee and its members will make every effort to examine this issue in a balanced, mature and enlightened manner.
This is one of the most important debates in terms of the economic, social and environmental importance of the Shannon. I hope we reach a consensus and that progress is made on this issue as a result of it being sent to the committee. I hope the Government acts as quickly as possible on any report laid before the House.
Members of this House frequently hear about the problems relating to the Shannon which seem to occur every eight to ten years or at certain times of the year when there are flash floods. The flooding at Christmas, which lasted for some time, made people realise that something had to be done about it. We can all throw our hands up in the air and say it is an act of God. However, acts of God will happen irrespective of what we try to do here. Crises should be managed and there is a need for a proper management plan to deal with the Shannon.
The Shannon is the drainage system for a large part of the west, the northwest and as far south as Limerick. It has all the problems associated with a long meandering river. It is slow and its fall is poor in many sections which causes widespread flooding. Carrick-on-Shannon, which is high up on the Shannon, had not seen anything like the flooding it suffered at Christmas. People said it happened because the sluice gates on Lough Allen were open. However, I was told by the Office of Public Works today that the sluice gates were open prior to the flooding. If they were open, it was to prevent further flooding.
Perhaps the Office of Public Works and the ESB have been at cross purposes in the management of the Shannon over the years and that this has led to some of the problems. Everyone accepts there is a need for a Shannon authority to manage the Shannon. The Shannon is not only an important tourist attraction, but a source of water for many towns. All of south Leitrim uses water taken from the Shannon at Carrick-on-Shannon.
The referral of this issue to the Joint Committee on Public Enterprise and Transport provides a good opportunity to draw up a management plan for the Shannon so it is developed to its maximum potential. It also gives people an opportunity to make submissions. People should have the right to express their fears and concerns to members of Oireachtas committees and to outline their views on what can be done to improve the situation.
Deputy O'Sullivan mentioned the damage to household property. The damage to farm property and to farms was so serious that much of the land flooded will have little or no productive use this year. That will be a considerable loss to the farmers concerned. This is an opportunity to adopt a co-ordinated approach to the Shannon.
Everyone accepts the tourism potential of the Shannon. Cruising boats and anglers have generated considerable revenue in the Shannon basin over the past 25 or 30 years. The committee must consider its further development. This great resource will play a major role in the country's future development. We do not want to see it abused or pollution becoming a bigger problem. The referral of this issue to the committee provides an opportunity to compile a report on the management and development of the Shannon. We do not want people to face the trauma they faced last Christmas or this natural resource to be damaged by pollution.
I am glad of this brief but important opportunity to contribute to this debate. I appeal to Members to adopt an all-party approach to this issue because it has been the subject of politicking for some time. It is time to lay the politics aside. I was glad to hear the contributions of Opposition Deputies last night. The time has come for all of us to get together in the committee and chart the future development of the Shannon catchment, while bearing in mind the importance of the catchment and its huge potential to generate economic activity in the region.
That is what was said in the Seanad last week.
The Deputy is always consistent.
The Shannon has made an important contribution to the development of fisheries, tourism, navigation systems and the leisure, amenity and recreational facilities of the catchment. The Shannon was harnessed at Ardnacrusha, at the instigation of the first Government, and the establishment of the power station had and continues to have a major economic impact. Apart from its leisure, amenity and recreational value, the Shannon has made a contribution to our economic prosperity and development and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
It is not acceptable that people had to leave their homes last Christmas and in recent years because of flooding and that little action has been taken by successive Governments to deal with it. I compliment the local communities who have suffered the problems in the upper Shannon for so long and the representatives of the farming community and other voluntary bodies who were members of the forum, which was set up by the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Treacy, for their dedicated work. They worked with the State agencies, Departments and county councils.
It is unacceptable and unjustifiable that people's homes have been severely flooded and it must be rectified. The committee must consider what needs to be done either through legislation or other measures and it must include some form of compensation. That was one of the shortcomings of the legislation introduced by the Opposition and by Deputy Penrose.
It was the Deputy's Bill.
I did not interrupt Members and my time is short. Deputy Naughten is new in the House and has a lot to learn about procedure.
The Deputy should keep going.
It was against the background of flooding that, when I was in the Seanad, Deputy O'Kennedy and I put together a positive response which was used or even stolen by the Opposition which could be prosecuted under copyright legislation.
That is why the Deputy voted against it.
A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, I do not wish to be diverted from what I wish to say on this important issue. There will be debate in the House but the overall issue is important—
How the Deputy votes is what is important.
Time is limited so I ask Deputies to allow Deputy Daly to speak without interruption.
The Shannon is a huge natural resource which can be harnessed further. The tragedy has been that the Shannon catchment was used for generations as a disposal unit for refuse, sewage and effluent. Many local authorities have to take responsibility for failing to deal with this issue for generations. The result is that there was a disastrous situation in Lough Derg, a devastating effect on Shannon fisheries and the potential of the Shannon and its basin has not been utilised to the full for generations.
We now have an opportunity to address this issue. The Bill I formulated and other legislation are just part of a formula which must be put in place. I am confident that this formula will be properly dealt with by the committee and the sub-committee and it can put in place a framework to ensure the continued maximisation of the Shannon's tourism, leisure, recreational and amenity value and its economic importance. Above all, it is unfair and unreasonable that people in the catchment area are still subject to the devastating effects of flooding. Some compensation arrangement has to be built into any new framework for such communities and individuals.
A recent meeting of the sub-committee chaired by Deputy Doherty elected Deputy Penrose as Vice-Chairman. On behalf of Fine Gael, Deputy Connaughton pledged his full support. All sides at the meeting acknowledged that the different legislation put together in Private Members' time needed to be placed on a proper framework and footing and that the Government was responsible for doing so.
The Minister for Finance and the Office of Public Works should take the lead on this as they have the engineering and design capabilities for framing an overall scheme which can work successfully. They have worked successfully in draining the flash floods on the Mulcaire and in other catchments. Under the Department of Finance funding will be available to deal with this matter.
Is that a promise?
European funding has also been available to deal with these matters which can be looked at in the context of the sub-committee and the committee which will have the responsibility under the new arrangements being put in place.
Legislation must provide for an overall authority with responsibility for the Shannon which is able to take decisive action to deal speedily and effectively with emergencies. Such an authority does not exist. Instead, a number of agencies and Departments have responsibility and what is everybody's responsiblity is no one's responsiblity. If a sudden problem emerges at Meelick which requires remedial action at Ardnacrusha, someone in authority should be able to direct the ESB to take that action. The problem is that different agencies have their own responsibility but none has overall responsibility, as acknowledged by the Minister of State in his speech.
The House should not divide on this issue. Instead, we should go into the committee identified as the body to bring together the various Departments and local authorities. That committee can also call on the advice of voluntary organisations and bodies who deal with this issue on a day-to-day basis. Many of these bodies contributed to the forum but recognised that, because it was a non-statutory body, it did not have the authority to deal effectively with some of these matters. Legislation will be necessary but it must be comprehensive. It also needs to be placed on a footing which will enable reasonable compensation and relocation to be provided for those who have suffered undue hardship because of flooding. This issue cannot be ignored in the development of a scheme to deal with the situation.
I call Deputy Flanagan. The Deputy is sharing his time with Deputies Belton, Enright, Ulick Burke, Neville and Finucane.
The contributions of Fianna Fáil, and Deputy Daly in particular, are more appropriate to "Bull Island" than any serious attempt to address this problem given the Government's voting record in this House and in the Seanad.
As well as being critical of the Government and the Minister, I also wish to be critical of the four principal State agencies who are wringing their hands of responsibility for the River Shannon. The ESB, Bord na Móna, the Office of Public Works and Dúchas are in continuous denial of responsibility when dealing with this issue. The principal question which has been dodged for years is who is responsible for the control and maintenance of water levels on the Shannon? The ESB regularly holds back water at Ardnacrusha and repeated allegations are made that this is done, particularly in the spring and autumn. These allegations have never been properly investigated and are always denied by the ESB.
There has also been much criticism of Bord na Móna over the years for silt and peat deposits from the River Brosna and other rivers in the midlands. These allegations have never been properly investigated and Bord na Móna also flatly denies them. Over the years, the Office of Public Works has faced allegations that the Shannon has narrowed in many areas because it is overgrown with weeds and rushes. This has never been properly investigated although it is obvious in many areas. The Office of Public Works also flatly denies these allegations.
In 1996, responsibility was transferred from the Office of Public Works to Dúchas, an arm of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands. Dúchas flatly denies any responsibility for maintenance of the Shannon and claims that its responsibility only extends to summer months. It denies responsibility for maintenance and flooding. We have had denials from the ESB, Bord na Mona, the Office of Public Works, Dúchas, the Minister and Fianna Fáil.
While all these agencies are in denial, no Minister or Department has overall responsibility for the Shannon with bleak consequences for people living the catchment area, particularly smallholders and farmers whose incomes suffer annually as land remains flooded for almost six months. The only solution is that proposed by Deputy Connaughton for an overall River Shannon authority, not at some time in the future, but now. Otherwise this situation will deteriorate even further with further hardship and suffering for thousands of people in the Shannon catchment area.
The Government's attitude is a major disappointment to all from the midlands and the Shannon area. A few months ago in the Shamrock Lodge the Minister for Public Enterprise, Deputy O'Rourke, gave a pledge and claimed that she could not get back to Dublin quick enough to put the Shannon authority in place and provide compensation for the unfortunate people. She named most of them that day because she had been to visit them. It is obvious now that she only went as a PR exercise of the sort for which this Government – the Government of the spin doctor – is known. However, it cannot spin its way out of this. The reality is that every time the Shannon floods, land and houses are under water and people's pride and interest in farming and ordinary day-to-day life is damaged once again.
How many times have we heard that nobody has responsibility for the drainage of the Shannon? However, people have responsibility for every river that goes into the Shannon. There is proper drainage legislation for rivers which go into the Shannon, such as the Suck and the Brosna, but there is no drainage for the river itself.
This Government has all the money and is drunk on champagne. The Minister, Deputy McCreevy, has told us all to get drunk on champagne. However, there is no champagne in the Shannon valley. The Taoiseach announced today, probably rightly so, that they will spend £0.5 billion on the new sports complex in Dublin. The Minister should say that slowly and think about it. Yet the Government cannot afford to do anything on the Shannon for the unfortunate people living and working there, who are entitled to live happily without the hassle they suffered last Christmas.
I live in the area concerned. I travelled from Banagher to Shannon Harbour to Shannonbridge during the floods last winter. It was like looking across the Atlantic. The floods were five miles across the countryside. I had not seen anything like it before.
The Government has a duty to establish a Shannon river authority. It is essential that such an independent body would have overall control of the Shannon. The authority we want set up would comprise representatives from the farming community, tourism interests, fisheries, wildlife and conservation interests, as well as the existing statutory bodies, such as the Office of Public Works, the ESB and local authorities. Such an authority would deal with the flow and quality of the river, with the express intention of ensuring that Ireland's largest river would be managed to maximum advantage for farmers, householders, people involved in recreational activities, such as fishing, boating and so on, the ESB and people interested in the environment.
There is a serious question mark over the quality of the water in the River Shannon, which has been heavily polluted. It appears that nothing is being done about this very important matter, to which the Minister should attend.
The statutory authority which I envisage would be able to take action to help prevent the annual flooding of thousands of acres and the homes of many people living on the banks of the Shannon. It would also help ensure farmers would not have to undergo loss of fodder, crops and grazing lands.
When the Bill was debated in the Seanad it passed through four Stages, receiving commendable and deserved publicity and the full support of every Fianna Fáil and PD Senator. Senator after Senator claimed credit for helping to set up the Shannon authority. However, in a bizarre and cynical manoeuvre, every one of those Senators voted against the Bill they had so vocally and, as we can now see, hypocritically supported.
It was the U-turn of the century.
The Government's conduct in opposing the Bill on Final Stage was without precedent and was deplorable. The Government has a chance to redeem itself tonight.
I speak here on behalf of farmers, householders and the community in general who have experienced flooding for years. We believe the establishment of a Shannon river authority is vital because only such a strong and powerful body will be able to take the actions necessary to alleviate our problems. The Government must be sensitive to the needs and difficulties of the farmers, householders and communities who are the victims of this annual flooding. I call on the Government not to ignore the ongoing and recurring flooding problems on the Shannon. The Minister of State said in the Seanad that he had powers to deal with flooding under existing legislation. If he has, he should use them.
I compliment Deputy Connaughton on bringing this issue before the House. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Cullen, back to the House. He abdicated his responsibility as soon as he stood up last night. The opening paragraph of his speech stated:
I am here this evening because of the general responsibility of the Office of Public Works in relation to arterial drainage and flood relief issues. However, I want to make it clear at the outset that the Office of Public Works does not have any specific responsibility.
Such an opening is an indication to me and every Member of the House that we are not about to see any progress on this issue. The Minister is now saying the solution is not to push this to a vote but to leave it to the select committee to make decisions on it. That is another cop out. We have been listening to this mode of thinking for too long, while there has not been any action. Not one Minister of any Government has taken on these agencies, knocked their heads together and told them that this must be solved.
We want a simple solution to this, where a Minister will take responsibility for one overall agency, with representatives of the other agencies, and tell them what to do, rather than requesting them to do it. Many times in the past, agencies such as the ESB refused to release one bucket of water down the Shannon until they saw bales of hay and livestock floating down the river or people marooned in their houses. That cannot continue. It is in the interests of the Minister and everybody else for that to stop. The only way to do that is to set up a council for which one Minister will be responsible, as suggested by Deputy Connaughton.
I will give an instance which occurred near where I live to illustrate what is happening. In September 1997 a group of farmers lost their silage and hay in the callows of the Meelick-Eyrecourt area. I am sure that also happened on the Offaly border on the other side of the Shannon. As a result, they came to Ballinasloe to meet the Minister of State, Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív, who promised them compensation. They have neither heard from him or seen him since. That group of farmers, in co-operation with a conservation group, had voluntarily decided to postpone their harvest to preserve the corncrake. That commitment has not been honoured. It is time this stopped.
I congratulate Deputy Connaughton on his initiative in tabling this proposal to establish an authority to oversee, co-ordinate and develop the Shannon, which is one of our greatest resources. I will dwell specifically on the estuary, which is totally underdeveloped.
A report published in February 1994 by the Shannon estuary project team gave detailed proposals for a development programme between 1994 and 1999. This was a very high powered team, comprising the Department of the Environment and Local Government, the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources, the Department of the Taoiseach, Foynes Harbour trustees, the Industrial Development Authority, Limerick Harbour Commissioners, the University of Limerick and Shannon Development, and was initiated by the former Taoiseach, Deputy Albert Reynolds. This report gave comprehensive proposals on how to develop the Shannon Estuary, but action has been taken on few of them. The report stated that the Shannon Estuary should be exploited to the fullest and referred to the cost free advantage given by the national deep water of the estuary. No other port in Europe has national deep water available for industrial maritime use at minimal capital outlay.
There are certain things which should happen to develop the estuary. Foynes, one of the four biggest ports, is by far the best port in the west but it is in need of urgent development. I appreciate that the Minister has recently received a report which recommended a single estuarial authority, but I want to point out that acceptance of a single estuarial authority by Foynes is on foot of a clear understanding that there will be substantial development for Foynes of up to £40 million. This investment is required. It will have a consequential return and will enhance the area.
At Askeaton, there is a 200 acre developed industrial site which nobody is touching. They will not touch it because there is no proper access. The N69, which services Foynes, Askeaton and areas of future development, is one of our worse national roads. This is restricting development. Industrialists arrive in Shannon Airport, which is a first class airport, and their cars are stuck behind trucks as they travel along the shore of the estuary to Foynes and Askeaton to see these places. That should not be tolerated. Therefore, if the Government wants to develop either Foynes or Askeaton, the N69 must be taken care of. I know there is mention of it in the recently published national development plan, but the issue should be addressed urgently. In that regard, the project recommended that one should be able to travel along the southern or northern shore of the estuary in one hour.
I was delighted to attend a meeting of the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, at which the IFA and the ICMSA voiced their concerns following the recent flooding of the River Shannon were articulated. It was quite an emotional occasion, but I was disappointed that none of the different organisations was taking responsibility. The Office of Public Works stated that it had no responsibility for the River Shannon. Dúchas, which stated that it had responsibility for certain things, and the ESB seemed to be at cross purposes. The motion is timely because it is time an authority was put in place where somebody will take overall responsibility for the River Shannon.
Every time there is flooding we focus our attention on it. It is a temporary type of concern. Ministers go into the area and accompany farmers on the backs of trailers, etc. It is probably a good television spectacle, but what action follows? The people were never compensated for the flooding.
In the long-term the Government must take serious action on the River Shannon. The Shannon has been described as the jewel of the western world. Deputy Daly, who lives on the other side of the river, appreciates the potential of the estuary. He has seen at first hand the success of the marina at Kilrush. My disappointment is that there is a necklace of marinas required along estuary. There should be more funding provided for the development of the marina at Foynes. I appreciate the assistance given recently for dredging operations there. I would hope that as the role of the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources has been extended, it will have a function in providing grants for marinas which are required along the estuary. Talk of merging the Foynes and Limerick harbour bodies into one estuarial authority is for another day, but the considerable potential of the estuary in the future must be harnessed. Deputy Neville is correct. As spokesperson on the Marine and Natural Resources for my party, I would be conscious that whatever emerges at the end of the day will be good for the people of Foynes who we represent. I will be watching closely what emerges there.
I understand Deputy Noonan is sharing time with Deputies Ring, Donal Carey and Connaughton.
The River Shannon is long and there are many constituency interests involved. I come from the constituency where the River Shannon meets the sea because the estuary is tidal. While there are problems in the estuarial part of the River Shannon, they are not to do with flooding. However, from the upper River Shannon to the Curragh Gower Falls in Limerick, there is a difficulty. Heavy rain causes flooding in my constituency at Shannon Banks, Corbally in County Clare, Athluncard Street and Sir Harry's Mall in the old parish on the island in the centre of the river in Limerick which is bounded by the River Shannon on one side and the Abbey River on the other. On Christmas Eve there was a huge flood there and about 25 homes were flooded. Since then, we have been urging the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Cullen, and his senior colleague to come to the assistance of the householders whose artefacts and furnishings were destroyed by the flood. In Athluncard Street and along Sir Harry's Mall there is an area which has flooded for centuries.
The difference between what happened on Christmas Eve and what happened before is it was worse this time than it has been at any time in living memory. It is not possible to insure houses there against flooding because it is an area subject to flooding. The water came in to a height of three feet. It destroyed carpets and furnishing and there is no way of claiming because there is no possibility of getting insurance cover. It was so bad this time that it went over the bridge out to the main Corbally road and, in effect, people on that side of the city were cut-off at Christmas from getting into the city.
In addition, although the River Shannon did not breach its bank, it went over its banks further upstream and flowed into the housing estates on the Clare side of the river in that part of suburban Limerick which spills into Clare. At the lower end, along by the river again, a number of houses were flooded and, indeed, cars parked in driveways outside houses were flooded also.
The Minister of State will be aware that I previously raised this on the Adjournment. He also knows that his colleague, the Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Deputy O'Dea, led a delegation on which I was represented to meet the Minister for Finance. The demands are two-fold. First we want money to ensure that this does not recur. There is a main drainage scheme going into Limerick now and in that context we want remedial works carried out. In addition, we want compensation for the people who cannot get insurance for their houses. We want a fund set up. Compensation was provided in the case of the River Dodder in Ballsbridge, and at Clonmel in east Galway.
My father used tell me that at every election from the time of de Valera and Lemass and on to Haughey, the two big items in the west were a statutory authority for the River Shannon and a biscuit factory for Mayo. Neither was ever established. Neither the biscuit factory nor the authority ever materialised. Fianna Fáil was always great. It promised the sun, the moon and the stars. As Mr. Gerry L'Estrange said one time, with Fianna Fáil you would hear the bees but you would never see the honey.
That is the way it is with the River Shannon authority. The people of the River Shannon in the midlands, in Longford and Roscommon, have suffered from flooding since the foundation of the State. Last Christmas I was travelling from Mayo to a funeral in Mullingar and I nearly destroyed my car when I arrived at Longford. There was nobody in attendance from the county council to tell people that there was a flood across the road. Many people were stranded and we had to go back and take a detour to get to Dublin. It is a disgrace. We have talked about this and we know the action which must be taken, but nobody has done anything about it. All the statutory agencies, including the Office of Public Works and the Department of the Environment and Local Government, have done nothing.
I will give credit where it is due. When my party was in Government, Deputy McCormack and the late Deputy Hugh Coveney, who was then Minister of State at the Department of Finance, got agreement among the farmers and a few machine men in Galway, and they did a job which cost a couple of hundred thousand pounds. The departmental officials did everything in their power to stop us from getting them the money. We had to have a special parliamentary party meeting to put pressure on the then Taoiseach and Government to make sure that money was paid to those people. Since then, there has never been a problem. Why do we not listen to the farmers and the householders? They will tell us how to resolve this problem. They will tell us what has to be done. Money must be put in place and there must be somebody to take responsibility and give leadership. The people of Longford, Offaly and Roscommon have had enough. We heard how last Christmas people's houses and lands were flooded. People are entitled to be able to get in and out of their homes and to farm their land. Next Christmas they should be assured that their homes will not be flooded and the fire brig ade or neighbours will not have to rescue them. It is time we had action, that the agency was put in place and responsibility was given to somebody. We have talked and heard enough about it and enough elections have been fought on this issue. We now want money and action to ensure the work is done so that once and for all people from the midlands and the west will not have to get boats to and from their farms and houses as happened in recent years. When everybody in Dublin was firing thousands of pounds in the air, the people from the west could not get to or from their homes. Enough is enough, we want the Minister to take responsibility and the Government to commit itself to an authority.
I join my colleagues in their plea to the Government to provide for a Shannon authority. As my colleagues have outlined, there is a necessity to have a group which will take responsibility for the river. As Deputy Noonan outlined, the tributary of the River Fergus also joins the Shannon. Last year we again had flooding of houses and because farmers and others are building around Ennis we suffered additional flooding.
The previous Government provided compensation in kind to those who suffered the trauma of flooding, but unfortunately nothing has been paid this time and nobody has received relief, something I very much regret.
There should be a body with authority from Loop Head to the top of the River Shannon. There should be some way of raising funds for the entire Shannon in order to carry out the developments which have been spoken about. As far as I am concerned I have no beef with the Limerick harbour commissioners. An authority can be put in place to raise enough funds to subsidise developments in the upper Shannon. Everybody knows that Lough Derg has been contaminated through the outflows into the Shannon upstream. The Minister for Defence, Deputy Smith, as Minister for the Environment promised he would eliminate some of the bigger sources of pollution in Lough Derg, two of which were identified as the sewerage schemes in Nenagh and Scarriff. Yet, there has not been any work on the sewerage scheme in Scarriff and I wonder if the Minister of State will ask the Minister for the Environment and Local Government the reason for this delay. Can some urgent corrective action be taken?
An authority with control from County Leitrim to Loop Head and with its own resources would be very successful.
I thank everybody for their contributions over the past two nights. It was an important debate and I pay tribute to the number of people who have shown an interest from all over the country and who have been in the public gallery tonight and last night. There are more people in the gallery than I have seen for any debate in a long time.
I am somewhat confused by what has happened. On behalf of Fine Gael I tabled a very sensible and simple motion asking the Government to establish a statutory authority on the River Shannon. It could not be simpler. Last night we went through all the things the authority was likely to do or should do and I do not have time to go back over them. I could not understand what the Government was doing when it tabled an amendment to my motion as it seems to be saying we might want a statutory authority in the future but we do not want one tonight. The amendment refers the matter to the Committee of Public Enterprise and Transport. I have no problem with the committee considering the issue, but this further delays the entire matter.
I was in Athlone on that famous Sunday when the IFA organised one of the biggest meetings I have ever seen in the aftermath of the huge flooding. Speaker after speaker said they wanted a Shannon statutory authority for the reasons Fianna Fáil backbenchers and the Opposition have put forward. We know there has to be a responsible body with a co-ordinating role. Without that the other agencies will not be whipped into line – it is that simple. The Minister for Public Enterprise, Deputy O'Rourke, gave an undertaking, admittedly on a personal basis, that she believed it was a good idea. Everybody else also thought it was a good idea that night.
This was followed by the introduction of Deputy Daly's Bill. I know the Deputy has a great personal interest in the matter and he went to the trouble of formulating a Bill which was taken on Second, Committee and Report Stages in the Seanad just two months ago. It was considered over three or four weeks in the Seanad, with all Members saying it was a great Bill. However, there was then a message from the top saying it was to be voted against on Report Stage and the Bill was thrown out. What sort of democracy is this? Who is codding whom?
The most important meeting ever held about the future of the Shannon took place last January at a sitting of the Oireachtas Joint Committees on Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Public Enterprise and Transport. Every Deputy and Senator from every side of the House said on that occasion that they wanted a statutory authority. I asked the ESB, the Office of Public Works and Dúchas whether they were willing to work within the context of an overall statutory authority for the Shannon and they said they were. I cannot understand why the Cabinet did not mandate the Minister, whom I believe has the will power to deliver, to say to the House last night that the Government believes in a statutory authority for the Shannon but that there is much work to be done before getting to that stage. However, rather than doing that the Government is voting down this motion on the understanding that it will be referred to a committee and we must wait to see the outcome. Why did the Minister not declare his interest in principle?
The Minister of State has been isolated by virtue of the fact that this concerns the Office of Public Works. I would like to have seen several senior Ministers in the House during the debate. The Ministers for the Environment and Local Government, Agriculture, Food and Rural Development and Tourism, Sport and Recreation should have had a huge input.
The Shannon authority appears to be a very low priority for the Government. I have no problem with the matter being discussed by the committee, but I want the Minister, and in particular the Independents, those four great people who say they are keeping up the trousers of the Government, to vote for the motion if they genuinely believe the Government is wrong not to establish a statutory authority to help those people who have been damned by flood waters over the years. Now is the time to do it. The wrong signals are going out to everybody, particularly those involved in the competing interest groups around the Shannon. The Government is not behind a Shannon authority and it is against that background I hope we win the vote.
Amendment put.
Tá
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Ahern, Dermot.Ahern, Michael.Ahern, Noel.Andrews, David.Ardagh, Seán.Aylward, Liam.Blaney, Harry.Brady, Johnny.Brady, Martin.Brennan, Séamus.Briscoe, Ben.Browne, John (Wexford).Callely, Ivor.Carey, Pat.Collins, Michael.Cooper-Flynn, Beverley.Coughlan, Mary.Cowen, Brian. |
Cullen, Martin.Daly, Brendan.Davern, Noel.de Valera, Síle.Dempsey, Noel.Dennehy, John.Doherty, Seán.Ellis, John.Fleming, Seán.Flood, Chris.Foley, Denis.Fox, Mildred.Gildea, Thomas.Hanafin, Mary.Haughey, Seán.Healy-Rae, Jackie.Jacob, Joe. Keaveney, Cecilia. |
Tá–continued
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Kelleher, Billy.Kenneally, Brendan.Killeen, Tony.Kirk, Séamus.Kitt, Michael.Lawlor, Liam.Lenihan, Brian.Lenihan, Conor.McCreevy, Charlie.McDaid, James.McGennis, Marian.McGuinness, John.Martin, Micheál.Moffatt, Thomas.Molloy, Robert.Moloney, John.Moynihan, Donal.Moynihan, Michael. |
Ó Cuív, Éamon.O'Dea, Willie.O'Donoghue, John.O'Hanlon, Rory.O'Keeffe, Batt.O'Keeffe, Ned.O'Kennedy, Michael.O'Rourke, Mary.Power, Seán.Roche, Dick.Smith, Brendan.Smith, Michael.Treacy, Noel.Wade, Eddie.Wallace, Dan.Wallace, Mary.Walsh, Joe.Woods, Michael.Wright, G. V. |
Níl
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Ahearn, Theresa.Allen, Bernard.Barnes, Monica.Bell, Michael.Belton, Louis.Boylan, Andrew.Bradford, Paul.Broughan, Thomas.Browne, John (Carlow-Kilkenny).Burke, Ulick.Carey, Donal.Clune, Deirdre.Connaughton, Paul.Cosgrave, Michael.Crawford, Seymour.Creed, Michael.Currie, Austin.D'Arcy, Michael.Deasy, Austin.Deenihan, Jimmy.Dukes, Alan.Durkan, Bernard.Enright, Thomas.Farrelly, John.Finucane, Michael.Fitzgerald, Frances.Flanagan, Charles.Gilmore, Éamon.Hayes, Brian.Higgins, Jim.Higgins, Joe. |
Hogan, Philip.Howlin, Brendan.McCormack, Pádraic.McDowell, Derek.McGahon, Brendan.McGinley, Dinny.McGrath, Paul.McManus, Liz.Mitchell, Gay.Mitchell, Jim.Mitchell, Olivia.Moynihan-Cronin, Breeda.Naughten, Denis.Neville, Dan.Noonan, Michael.Ó Caoláin, Caoimhghín.O'Keeffe, Jim.O'Shea, Brian.O'Sullivan, Jan.Penrose, William.Perry, John.Rabbitte, Pat.Reynolds, Gerard.Ring, Michael.Ryan, Seán.Sargent, Trevor.Sheehan, Patrick.Shortall, Róisín.Stagg, Emmet.Timmins, Billy.Upton, Mary.Yates, Ivan. |
Tellers: Tá, Deputies S. Brennan and Power; Níl, Deputies Sheehan and Stagg.
Amendment declared carried.
Question, "That the motion, as amended, be agreed to", put and declared carried.