I thank the Minister for taking this matter on the Adjournment. There has been a major problem during recent years in the south Galway area due to flooding. The flooding in south Galway is unusual in that most other areas of the country which are noted for heavy flooding have not experienced it to the same extent as south Galway.
The problem in south Galway arises due to the karst limestone geology of the area. There are many underground water courses and swallow holes, the most famous being the lake in Coole which found fame in the poem "The Wild Swans of Coole" by W.B. Yeats. The water level of the lake rises in the winter as a result of underground water sources. Four years ago and this year the water level was much higher than at any time in the past. It is difficult to understand why the level has increased, although a number of reasons have been put forward. One reason offered is that as a result of the drainage of many thousands of acres of the Slieve Aughty mountains by Coillte for forestry development, water gets to this part of the county more quickly.
The Minister will have seen the effect of the flooding on television. Thousands of acres have been covered in water and people have had to leave their homes. The Geological Survey Office has issued a report on the flooding and has given an indication of what must be done to alleviate it. I ask the Office of Public Works to take that report on board and to initiate a development proposal. The proposal would, in the first instance, open the swallow holes to allow the water to travel faster into the underground caverns. Second, the Office of Public Works could look at the possibility of cutting a channel which would be piped from the Coole lake to the sea in Kinvara, a distance of about five miles.
The Minister will probably say this is not the responsibility of the Office of Public Works under the 1945 legislation. However, it is not the responsibility of any other Department because it does not come under the heading of arterial drainage. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry has informed me that it is not that Department's responsibility. The Department of the Environment and the county council have also disclaimed responsibility. It is a major problem. The Taoiseach's involvement is also being sought. In that context, I hope the Office of Public Works can be allocated extra money to open one of the swallow holes on a trial basis. That would not cost an enormous amount of money. Second, a plan for a piped channel between Coole and Kinvara should be drawn up and costed.
Unless remedial action is taken, roads, houses and thousands of acres of land will continue to be flooded. People have to travel as many as nine miles further than usual to avoid flooded roads in the Shanaglish area in Gort and in the Peterswell area. The national primary road near Kiltartan was flooded for a period during the recent rains.
I thank the Minister for listening and I hope my comments will be considered.
