I move:
That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to co-ordinate the activities of authorities, agencies, and bodies connected with the protection, conservation, management, water management and control of pollution of the Shannon River catchment, to establish a body to be known as the Shannon River Agency, to define its functions, and to provide for other matters connected with the matters aforesaid.
I welcome the opportunity to introduce this Bill. The devastation and havoc heaped upon our citizens over the past seven weeks and the slow response from Government have clearly demonstrated the urgent need for a single authority, with a statutory basis, to co-ordinate the management of the River Shannon. It is the longest river in the British Isles, stretching for 360 km and touching 18 counties. Numerous agencies and competing interests are involved in its management, including the ESB, Bord na Móna, the National Parks and Wildlife Service and Waterways Ireland. Each of these agencies has shown in the past that it will prioritise its own interests ahead of the common interest.
That can no longer be allowed to continue. We cannot again have a situation where it takes the Taoiseach six weeks to bring all the agencies together. Now that is finally done, we must wait a further two weeks to hear what the terms and conditions of the co-ordinating group will be. The group will not be established on a statutory basis and will, therefore, lack sufficient powers to deal effectively with the management of the river and direct and manage the multiple agencies currently overseeing that function. Anecdotal evidence suggests the National Parks and Wildlife Service puts the preservation of the corncrake ahead of the welfare of citizens living along the banks of the Shannon. The ESB manipulates water levels to ensure its power stations operate at their greatest efficiencies. As recently as last October, Lough Ree was at its lowest level on record. Bord na Móna continued to pump excess water into the Shannon while properties in Athlone were flooding.
The Government is simply copying the model of the 1989 River Shannon Forum, which a subsequent Government, led by Fine Gael, scrapped in 1994. It is deeply disappointing that the Government is ignoring the local community in the Shannon region. People living there have made abundantly clear what is needed to manage the river and prevent further flooding.
These are the people who are there, day in, day out, and have intimate local knowledge. Not only has the community along the Shannon made it abundantly clear, but one of the Taoiseach's own Government backbenchers said in relation to a previous flooding that conditions in flooded areas each year made it imperative that a single statutory agency be established. The difference is that he was in opposition when he made that statement and now that he is in government, he seems to have a different view.
This Bill creates a single agency to manage the river Shannon. The agency will be based in Athlone and will administer the river to help cut through the bureaucratic silos that have developed across the various agencies. It will develop a new river management plan in conjunction with other bodies that have the legislative authority to make decisions. Issues such as flood preparation, emergency action and developing the river as a major recreation and tourism resource will be its core duties. The Government argued this legislation would take too long and that the Shannon co-ordination group would suffice. I remind the Taoiseach that we sat here one morning until 5 a.m. to debate the liquidation of the IBRC. This is an emergency and if there were a political will to introduce legislation, it could be done.
I thank the many people who worked voluntarily. If it were not for the voluntary effort, scores more houses would have been flooded. Why did it take six weeks for the Army to be called in to man the pumps? The men and women were willing and had the capacity to do so much earlier. The Taoiseach visited and he saw the destruction, devastation, frustration and heartbreak of all the people who were directly affected by this. This is an opportunity for all of us in this House to set aside politics as usual. It is an opportunity to treat this issue as the national emergency that it is and to leave in place a lasting solution for all our citizens, and to ensure this issue remains a priority and no families ever have to live through this again.
