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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 18 Apr 2000

Vol. 518 No. 3

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.

I move amendment No. a1:

That 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.

I listened very carefully to what Deputies said and one of the things I thought might happen has happened, that is, that the concentration has almost been exclusively on the issue of flooding because it is the most obvious thing on people's minds.

I will come back to Deputy Connaughton's points in a moment. We do not need a statutory authority for flooding. That is an essential point to make at the start of this debate. In fairness to Deputy Connaughton, he spoke about a range of issues about which I am deeply concerned. I am genuinely trying to find a mechanism and a way to move forward. That is why – I hope the rationale will become clearer when I speak – I have done what I have done in the context of the committee. I concur with Deputy Connaughton's view on what happened in January with the two committees. It was very helpful to me in the contact which has been made in terms of how the committee might see a role for itself in assisting me in pursuing this matter.

In terms of the authority I have in this area, I am very limited. However, I can say to the House that as far as my Department is concerned, we will co-operate fully with the committee and will help it. We will provide it with all the information which may be available in terms of coming to a conclusion on this matter. I say to Deputy Connaughton that I want to see this matter expedited by the committee as quickly as possible. I expect it will do so. It will have the authority to call any person, to form a view and to present a report, which I welcome. I will welcome whatever emerges from that report because I have no doubt the quality of the work of the committee involved will be up to its usual standard.

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 in relation to the main channel of the Shannon River. I am not saying that to excuse us but Members might understand the difficulty I have in my own responsibilities and that is why I need to put that on record in terms of what I can deliver. What I might want to deliver and what I can deliver may be best served, as I have suggested, by the course of action I outlined in the amendment.

The issue of this motion, the formation of a Shannon River Authority, has been discussed previously. There are many bodies, State, semi-State and private sector with interests in the Shannon River. The purpose of this amendment is to bring these interests together to engage in a meaningful discussion of all the issues in this complex problem. The issues are enormous, diverse and complex.

I would like to set out the background to the issue under discussion. The River Shannon, as we know, is the largest river in these islands and drains an area of more than 14,100 square kilometres – about one fifth of the total area of the country. The river has a total length of 336 kilometres and can be divided into four distinct reaches. First, the head water area above Lough Allen which is mountainous with steep and torrential river channels. Second, the central 250 kilometres from Lough Allen to Killaloe within which the Shannon is joined by five major tributaries and drains much of the central plain of Ireland. Here the river has a very flat gradient with a total fall of about 17 meters and is characterised by low ill-defined banks and wide adjoining callows. This reach includes a series of large lakes, including Loughs Allen, Ree and Derg which exercise a considerable modifying effect on the flow regime. Third, the 29 kilometres from Killaloe to Limerick where a fall of about 30 meters is concentrated and the major portion of the flow is now diverted through the head and tail race channels of the Ardnacrusha power development. Fourth, the 83 kilometre tidal estuary from Limerick to the Atlantic ocean.

There are very many organisations, national and local, with statutory obligations for the management of the catchment through an assigned responsibility for a particular aspect of river or catchment performance. For example, Waterways Ireland has responsibility for navigation and, as such, will exercise limited control over water levels in lakes and river stretches. Similarly, the Electricity Supply Board, ESB, has statutory responsibility for the control of lake levels arising from water requirements for hydroelectric generation of electricity at Ardnacrusha. Local authorities – ten county councils – in the catchment monitor water quality with the assistance of a number of laboratories and have responsibility for its control.

The Office of Public Works' only responsibility is for maintenance on those tributaries where capital works have been carried out under the Arterial Drainage Act, 1945. The Office of Public Works hydrometric service gathers water level and discharge information at a number of sites on the river.

Requests for the setting up of a single statutory authority for the River Shannon have been made on numerous occasions over the years and have been rejected by successive Governments. This current request seems to be prompted by the recent winter flooding of the Shannon catchment.

The problem of drainage in the Shannon basin is long standing and has a history of reports and investigations over the past 200 years. River Shannon flooding over the years has been the subject of much study by local and Government authorities and steps have been taken at various times to achieve some degree of control of floods and some amelioration of the resultant damages. By and large, however, the problem has been so extensive and complex that proposed schemes have been found too costly in relation to benefits obtained.

A number of studies and reports on this problem have been prepared in the past and are the sources of much valuable information. I intend to make these reports and any further information I have in my Department available to the committee as it will be a helpful starting point for it. The first of these reports is (a) 1939 – by the Board of Public Works – Report on Shannon navigation, Statement of Evidence for Drainage Commission 1938. This report, in addition to its coverage of navigation, contains much valuable and authoritative information on the River Shannon flood problem, especially from the historical aspects and with respect to possible solutions. The second report is (b) 1938-1940 – By the Drainage Commission, Ireland. This comprehensive report on flood and drainage problems throughout Ireland included consideration on the River Shannon. The report reviews the general flood problems of the basin together with the past history of flow control; discusses certain alternative solutions including (1) channel enlargement by excavation and (2) protection by embankments with provision of pumping plants, neither of which were found feasible on a large scale and recommended the allocation of £345,000 for certain limited works which would provide some amelioration of flood conditions. Due to World War II and other unfavourable factors, little work on the main stem of the River Shannon was undertaken along these recommendations. However, drainage works were completed on the River Brosna, a principal tributary.

The third report is (c) 1951 – by the Electricity Supply Board – Informal report on "proposal for Power Development and Drainage of River Shannon as Outlined in Mr. Boland's Memorandum of July 1951", having special reference to a suggested scheme for hydro-electric power development on River Suck. The fourth report is (d) 1952 – by the Electricity Supply Board – Description of Board activities and principal generating in Ireland. Other reports available are (e) 1954, Annual Report of Electricity Supply Board; (f) 1955, a general review of the River Shannon flood problem in the light of the 1954 flood by Mr. J. P. Candy, the Chief Engineer, Board of Public Works; (g) 1955, a memorandum from the power development aspect, including consideration of storage by Mr. J. W. MacDonald, Chief Civil Engineer, Electricity Supply Board; (h) 1955, a memorandum report on Shannon River Flooding (1954), including a suggestion for evacuation of flood areas by the Irish Land Commission; and (i) 1955, an informal memorandum on agricultural aspects of the flood problem by Dr. Walsh, Department of Agriculture.

These reports all highlight the complexity of the problem in both technical and financial terms. The most significant studies were carried out at the request of the Government by Louis E. Rydell of the US Army Corps of Engineers in the mid-1950s and the Office of Public Works and the Electricity Supply Board in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The Rydell report is constantly referred to by everybody and its contents have much merit. These bodies jointly examined and reported on the proposals contained in the Rydell report. All the reports were published. They concluded that there is no simple or obvious solution to the flood problem in the Shannon Basin; any solution would be both costly and complex. This is further substantiated by the report commissioned by the Irish Farmers' Association and launched in Athlone in October, 1998, which came to the same conclusion.

An unusually large flood in December, 1954, which caused severe and prolonged hardship again highlighted the problem of inadequate drainage of the Shannon. The Government of the day sought the services of the US Army Corps of Engineers, a recognised world authority on flood control and, in August 1956, Mr. Louis Rydell of the USACE made a detailed report outlining the problem and some possible solutions. He suggested inter alia (i) undertaking preliminary engineering investigations to test a number of the more favourable possibilities of the control of floods, selected from those postulated in his report; (ii) establishment of a Shannon River Basin Inter-agency Committee or Commission, which would serve as a medium for correlating various points of view, advising on procedures relating to an overall investigation programme and co-ordinating its effective execution. This committee would exercise advisory rather than executive powers – actual prosecution of engineering, economic, agricultural and other studies would normally be retained as a function of the appropriate, regularly constituted, department or agency.

Subsequently, the Government approved in principle the recommendations of the Rydell report and initiated a first stage investigation of the problem. This investigation was carried out between 1958 and 1961 under the joint auspices of the ESB and the Office of Public Works combining the drainage of the main Shannon stem with a comprehensive plan for the tributary catchments, due regard being given to other users of the river. The joint report recommended a more detailed second investigation which would establish costs and benefits with an accuracy sufficient to enable decisions to be taken in regard to carrying out selected works. The report also agreed with the Rydell recommendation that consideration be given to the establishment of the inter-agency committee, which would necessarily include representatives of a wide range of authorities and interests, national and local. A recommendation by Mr. Rydell that a small, specially qualified, task force, capable of adequately representing all the various interests, be set up to carry out detailed examination and design of drainage proposals was reiterated in the joint report.

In 1987, the Irish Farmers' Association commissioned an independent report by consulting engineers, Delap and Waller. They were asked: "to advise and report on the technical aspects of the River Shannon flooding problem, with particular reference to how it affects the interests of the members of the IFA". The scope of the report included an evaluation of the technical information available and, if appropriate, to identify and recommend remedial works to effect significant local amelioration of the flooding problem.

At that time, the Office of Public Works made available to the consultants whatever reports, information and hydrometric records it had. The conclusion of the consultants at that time was as follows:

There are no obvious localised engineering works, apparent to us, which if undertaken, would significantly improve the regime of the River Shannon. Removal of the weir at Meelick and the silt banks downstream would not have a significant effect.

It is important that Lough Allen be operated within the fullest range of its current limits and that Lough Ree is drawn down to the absolute lowest level compatible with navigation requirements so that as much storage as possible is available to delay or ameliorate the onset of some of the mid to late minor summer floods. It appears to us that the suggestion for lowering the current minimum water level for navigation between Athlone and Meelick, as an additional storage facility, has no merit other than providing improved drainage to callow lands while the level is lowered.

The possibility of providing viable localised flood relief by the construction of embankments or the carrying out of drainage works on small tributaries or on part of some tributaries, without sensibly exacerbating existing conditions in the main river should be pursued.

Bord na Móna seems to have provided a reasonably satisfactory system for preventing large quantities of peat silt from entering adjoining rivers. The success of the system is very dependent on proper maintenance of their siltation ponds.

An experienced management and operating structure is available for attending to such controls as exist in the River Shannon. The ESB and the Office of Public Works do so in tandem and although there is no formal link between them a reasonably effective liaison exists.

In October, 1988, my colleague, Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science, Deputy Noel Treacy, then Minister of State at the Department of Finance with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, on the occasion of the launch of the IFA-commissioned report on the Shannon flooding problem, announced the establishment of a forum at which the views of the various bodies interested in the Shannon could be co-ordinated.

The Shannon Forum, comprising representatives from elected members of local authorities along the River Shannon, local authority officials, boating, fishing wildlife and tourism interests, the industrial and agricultural sector, the ESB and the Office of Public Works, afforded the various parties an opportunity to express the views of the organisations which they represented. It was intended to co-ordinate the use of the resources of the river and ensure that consensus was arrived at in the more efficient management of those resources. With such a multiplicity of interest groups, open discussion on the varying viewpoints was considered beneficial to all concerned. Among the matters discussed, considered or resolved by the forum were planning and development matters, pollution incidents, navigation matters and flooding events.

The proposed EU Framework Directive on Water Policy sets a framework for a comprehensive management of water resources within the European Union, within a common approach and with common objectives, principles and basic measures. Deputy Connaughton was somewhat dismissive of this in the context of the points I am trying to make and which I made some weeks ago. There are elements of importance in regard to this. The proposed water management framework will be based on the river basin, as the natural unit for management and will require the development of the River Basin Management Plans. Member states will have to ensure that a co-ordinated approach is adopted for the achievement of the objectives of the proposed directive and for the implementation of programmes of measures for this purpose. Intense negotiations have been ongoing for some time between the EU and the Department of the Environment and Local Government. It is not something that has been put on the long finger, quite the opposite – I am trying to accelerate the pace substantially in moving my amendment. The proposed directive addresses surface waters, estuarine and coastal waters and groundwater, and will repeal and replace several existing EU directives in relation to individual aspects of water management.

The objectives are: to prevent deterioration of water quality; to achieve "good quality status" in surface waters and ground waters within a 16-year time frame generally; to protect ecosystems, which is vitally important in the Shannon, and achieve compliance with any standards and objectives for "Protected Areas", which is a huge issue in that area, (for example, areas designated for the protection of habitats or species) within a 16-year time frame generally; to ensure supplies of water for drinking and other purposes; to promote sustainable water use; and to mitigate the effects of floods and droughts. There is a huge range of issues that Deputy Connaughton and other Deputies touched on which come specifically within the remit of that directive.

The proposal requires that measures be taken within each river basin for matters such as: the determination of the characteristics – type – of waters concerned; the operation of monitoring programmes in respect of water quality; the control of direct and diffuse discharges to water; the review of the impact of human activity on the status of the waters; the establishment of environmental objectives aimed to achieve quality targets; the drawing up and implementation of a programme of measures to achieve the established environmental objectives; and the carrying out of an economic analysis of water use.

The problem of eutrophication or over enrichment has been shown in a number of studies to be the main threat to the water quality of the River Shannon. This has been clearly attributed to excessive inputs of nutrients, particularly phosphorous, to the inflowing rivers and their tributaries. These studies have chronicled the decline in water quality over the past 20 years, and this deterioration in water quality has endangered the general quality of these waters and also reduced their value as public amenities, particularly as a source of potable water.

The Lough Derg and Lough Ree catchment monitoring and management system has been developed to promote a catchment-based approach for reducing phosphorous inputs to rivers and lakes from all sources. The system undertakes to identify river stretches experiencing the effects of pollution, to catalogue the principal causes in each instance and to propose a range of key management measures which may be implemented by individual local authorities in problem areas. This approach is in keeping with Government policy which envisages a more integrated approach between authorities in promoting water quality management and in recognising the catchment as the most appropriate basis for developing and implementing water management strategies.

The Government has responded to the ongoing decline in surface water quality with the introduction in 1998 of the phosphorus regulations which have, for the first time, established statutory environmental quality standards for phosphorus. Target time frames have been set for the elimination of seriously polluted river stretches, incremental improvements in river channels currently slightly or moderately polluted and the restoration of lakes that are eutrophic to satisfactory conditions.

The two most relevant European Community legislative instruments are the birds directive, adopted in 1979, and the habitats and species directive, adopted in 1992. The birds directive, Council Directive 79/409/EEC on the conservation of wild birds, as the title suggests is concerned with bird species whereas the habitats directive, Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, in many respects represents a broadening of the Birds Directive to the full range of fauna and flora and also habitats.

The birds directive requires EU member states to provide for the conservation of all bird species, including by ensuring that the habitats of all species are adequately conserved. The directive further requires that protected areas, special protection areas, are established for species that are rare, vulnerable, in danger of extinction or otherwise require special attention, and migratory species.

The aim of the habitats and species directive is to contribute towards ensuring bio-diversity and it requires member states to take measures to maintain or restore natural habitats and species at a favourable conservation status in the Community. Under the directive, member states are required, inter alia, to designate protected areas, SACs, for certain natural habitats being ones which are in danger of disappearance, are rare or represent outstanding examples of their type and for a more limited number of species which are listed in the directive. Both the birds and habitats and species directives have been transposed into Irish law by way of regulations introduced in 1985 and subsequently and in 1997, respectively. The European Communities (Natural Habitats) Regulations, 1997, transposing the habitats and species directive, are the more significant as they provide not only for the designation of SACs but also for the protection measures that apply to SPAs as well as SACs. It is expected that the proposed Wildlife (Amendment) Bill will provide, inter alia, for the establishment of a national network of protected areas of both wildlife and geological importance – national heritage areas.

Waterfowl winter on the Shannon system and its tributaries, notably the Little Brosna and the Suck rivers, in internationally important numbers. Wading species breed there particularly in the section between Athlone and Portumna. This is especially the case for the corncrake which is the subject of a special scheme with farmers on the Callows where particular management practices such as centre cut mowing and delayed cutting are essential.

The lakes and rivers are also important habitats for many other species of plants and animals. The two main lakes, Lough Ree and Lough Derg, are thought to still contain the very rare and endangered fish species, pollan, which also exists in Lough Neagh and possibly Lough Erne. Outside Ireland, the other main populations are in Siberia, Canada and Alaska. The Shannon river is also important as the Irish centre of distribution for several aquatic and marsh plants. There are many sites designated for nature conservation purposes along the river for a range of habitats including lakes, fens, rivers, adjacent turloughs and bogs. Overall, the Shannon is, in ecological terms, one of the most important sites in Western Europe. It has, however, up to now been treated as a series of separate sites, not as one large system that needs to be managed as such if it is to be conserved from a series of threats from eutrophication, siltation, increased water colour from bog drainage, increased recreational pressure and the introduction of alien species, zebra mussel, which is spreading throughout the Shannon system.

I appreciate the way Deputies listened to my remarks. If we are talking about a Shannon authority it will impinge on a huge range of issues. It is not as simple as me, as Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, marching in on my own with a Shannon authority. That is why I have taken what I hope is the correct action of putting it in a forum that can, once and for all, tease out all the issues and question all the players, some of whom may not wish to be questioned.

Is the Minister in favour of the authority?

The Minister shot down the same proposals.

I have gone a long way and I listened very carefully to what was being said in the House because it is an issue of great interest to me, my officials and Department. I am determined to move the issue to a point where it is resolved. As regards the end of my contribution Deputies would want to be deaf not to understand what I am saying. I do not want to pre-empt what the committee should do. It is a committee of both Houses and it will recommend what the way forward should be to me and the Government.

There are more than 30 bodies or organisations with an interest in the Shannon river system. There are many others with a peripheral interest. None of them are under my control.

Headless chickens.

That is unfair. It is wrong to suggest there is no consultation or co-operation between the bodies. There is and people talk to each other all the time.

That is all they do.

It is not as it may appear. Neither the Office of Public Works nor I would deny it but, without question, there is a better way of co-ordinating all the activities in the Shannon river system. However, it does not necessarily mean that if there was a Shannon authority it would have a magic formula as regards flooding which has always been the driving force behind the issue, but that is another matter. What we are talking about is a very broad range of issues and Deputy Connaughton was right when he mentioned that. I have tried to do that in setting the background to all the issues for the committee and the House, irrespective of whether we like them, to move forward what would be the criteria and basis for getting everyone together and targeting what should be the responsibilities and outcomes. Various Governments over the years have tried to deal with this issue but nothing has happened because the focus has been too narrow. We have a wider range of activities and I commend the two committees on the way they pursued the issue and demanded action –

(Interruptions).

The Minister, without interruption, please. There is one minute remaining.

Some of the bodies outlined are central or local government bodies or semi-State organisations with statutory functions and powers. Others are voluntary, leisure or social clubs catering for recreational needs of local people. Yet others are commercial, farming or industrial, depending to some extent on the river for the commercial success of their business.

I have described some of the early attempts at finding solutions which were based in the main on land use and drainage issues. All this leads to a complex interaction of the requirements of these various organisations. In an effort to explore these issues the Joint Committee on Public Enterprise and Transport and the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine met in joint session in January this year. In his summing up the Chairman of the meeting, Deputy Seán Doherty, stated:

. . . on the one hand, a decision must be made on whether there should be a single authority. [I have an open mind on that.] On the other hand, we must decide whether anything reasonable can be done to reduce the impact and effect of flooding on the farming community and residents.

The question is whether a single authority would improve the position in real terms or provide solutions to these difficulties. If so, what powers and functions should be set down for the authority and how should it function in relation to existing statutory bodies and their existing legislative responsibilities?

It is clear that a significant consultative process is required to examine these questions if the matter is to be moved forward. The committee has in its membership of both Houses of the Oireachtas the experience necessary to do this and to bring to Government and this House its considered views. In the light of these questions I have, after consultation with the Government, decided to refer issues relating to the management of the River Shannon to the Joint Committee on Public Enterprise and Transport. I welcome this motion. It has provided me with a direct mechanism to do something on this issue. Deputy Connaughton said earlier that if I get involved in something I generally see it through. I am determined that will be the outcome in this case also.

Amendment No. 1 in the names of members of the Labour Party states:

To add the following to the motion:

and to that end resolves that, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, leave is hereby given for the introduction of a Bill entitled an Act to provide for the management and improvement of the Shannon Catchment, to secure the co-ordination of the activities of public authorities in relation thereto, for that purpose to establish a Shannon River Authority, to provide for the performance of the functions of that Authority, and to provide for related matters (the Shannon River Authority Bill, 2000), a copy of which Bill, together with an explanatory memorandum, was furnished to the Ceann Comhairle in January, 2000.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to the debate and congratulate my colleague, Deputy Connaughton, who tabled the motion. He has accepted an addendum from me to give me an opportunity to introduce the Shannon River Authority Bill, 2000.

I agree with many of the sentiments expressed by the Minister and, therefore, we are ad idem in respect of much of what has been called for tonight. I will not point a political finger but there has been a tardy response. Many people tried to bring forward the Bill and get the Minister to this point. However, the Government has been in disarray on this matter.

The Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at 210 miles long, rising in the Cuilcagh Mountains in Cavan and flowing southwards through Lough Allen, Lough Ree and Lough Derg, Limerick city, Shannon estuary and out to the Atlantic Ocean. The critical area is the upper Shannon catchment area which is about 9,000 sq. kilometres from Lough Allen to Carrick-on-Shannon, through a channel which is effectively a series of lakes, Lough Ree, from Athlone to Portumna at the head of Lough Derg. There is an important stretch of about 27 miles, the worst affected area, between Athlone and Meelick weir. The upper Shannon drains most of the low-lying central plane of Ireland. It is probably the most examined stretch of waterway in the world in respect of tackling the problems dating back to the 1930s and the Rydell report, right up to the IFA and the Coopers and Lybrand report.

They even go back to the 1800s.

The Fine Gael motion and my addendum have been brought before the House for a valid reason and this is not a political exercise. In January I held a press conference at the Shamrock Lodge Hotel in Athlone to launch the Labour Party's Shannon River Authority Bill. During that launch a young woman told of how she and her family were forced to wade through a flooded house to attend the funeral of her deceased father who had passed away suddenly. That woman was angry and upset, and rightly so. In a modern society, nobody should have to deal with a bereavement in such an undignified way. That is evidence of the human problems wrought by the flooding in this and in other areas in Leitrim, Longford, Roscommon, Galway and Offaly. I shall speak mostly about Westmeath because the Shannon includes a large area from Carrickabrien, Clonown, Golden Island and Ballinahown. Having seen the extent of the devastation wrought on the various homesteads, farms, businesses, it is foolish to speak in terms of huge sums of money and the wherewithal, while being unable to solve a problem of this dimension in the 21st century.

As the Labour Party spokesperson on agriculture, food and rural development and as a public representative for the midlands, and more particularly, Westmeath, I am adamant that the victims of the Shannon floods should not be forced to wade through their homes next winter. Their problems deserve a political response. In fairness the Minister has tried to give a measured response.

This motion and the addendum calling for the establishment of a single authority for the River Shannon provides the Government with a golden opportunity to take action.

I envisage that a single authority would provide a medium to long-term solution. It would deal with the flooding problems but also with much more. As it stands there is no single authority in the Shannon basin to deal with flooding. I have counted up to 43 authorities. I accept the Minister has knowledge of about 30 of them. At the end of the day the response to flooding and management problems is characterised by delay and denial. Farmers, business people and ordinary householders in those areas agree there is delay and denial by a whole host of State and semi-State bodies.

Up to 1996 the Office of Public Works had control but after that responsibility was transferred to Dúchas. At the meeting in Athlone the Office of Public Works said it was not its responsibility as its responsibility ceased after that time. Statutory intervention means that somebody else assumes responsibility.

A perusal of the Bills book will show that since 1932, there have been a total of ten Bills before the Oireachtas which have dealt with the operation of activities pertaining to the Shannon river, including fisheries and navigation. Given the extent of the list of Bills, it is clear that an overall policy on the Shannon has been missing for some time. The Bill which I am presenting in the addendum before the House, provides once and for all, a structured mechanism – in the form of a regulated authority – for delivering policy in the development of the Shannon.

The work of that authority could significantly reduce flooding and ensure that people in the midlands are not left without a livelihood if flooding recurs. In my Bill, I have proposed that the Shannon River Authority would have overall responsibility for the management and improvement of the Shannon catchment. The authority would be obliged to submit a five-year plan to the Minister for the Environment and Local Government with regard to its proposed activities to improve the river and surrounding areas. That ministerial responsibility could be with any Minister.

The plan would deal with fisheries, navigation, the improvement by drainage of the lands adjacent to the Shannon, the improvement of water quality as well as the protection and enhancement of the river's environment and of the natural habitats of its bird life and fish life. While I am a barrister I do not have any monopoly of wisdom on how to draft a Bill but I would have a little more exposure than a lay person. If my proposal is taken in conjunction with the other Bills, including Deputy Daly's Bill which contained many good proposals, it would constitute a major step forward. I happen to be on the sub-commit tee with Deputy Connaughton and we will not let it lie.

The authority would include representatives from the farming sector, community interests, tourism interests, fisheries and a range of statutory bodies such as the Office of Public Works, Bord na Móna, the ESB, Dúchas and all relevant local authorities. It would have complete responsibility for directing all public bodies where relevant and for the management of the Shannon catchment area.

When the flooding in the Shannon catchment was at its height in January, I was made aware by the Minister for Public Enterprise, Deputy O'Rourke, that she was open to the establishment of a single authority. I hope she will continue to give that support which is critical.

The recent treatment of the problems of the Shannon by the Government do not instil confidence in the people of the midlands who have been the victims of flooding. The Government was in disarray on the issue but may have come together this evening. Despite the widespread consensus among political parties and among the residents of the Shannon catchment area that a single authority is required to manage recurring problems, the Government said it has no plans to introduce legislation to allow that to take place. I was vice-chairman of the sub-committee of the Joint Committee on Public Enterprise and Transport which was to deal with those issues but the Minister appears to have referred them back. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment did not inspire confidence two weeks ago when she said there were no plans to introduce legislation. The sub-committee has, therefore, become functionless and useless.

I attended a meeting in the Shamrock Lodge hotel, Athlone, organised by the IFA to voice deep concern at the havoc wrought among householders and businesses in Athlone and the surrounding areas. The attendance of more than 500 came from counties Longford, Roscommon, Galway, Offaly and Sligo. The meeting tried to establish who was to blame for the devastation caused by flooding. Chief executives and senior managers of various statutory authorities attended and answered questions. At the meeting a great deal of scepticism was expressed at the fact that the level of water in the river had dropped dramatically in the preceding few days. Finger pointing, accusations and strong denials were the order of the day.

I said at the meeting that I hoped that when the level of water dropped the problem would not be forgotten and the search for solutions postponed. I have persisted in asking parliamentary questions on this issue because I do not want the Government to forget about this problem simply because the immediate crisis has passed. Next winter the same problems will be visited on the people of the Shannon basin.

The flooding of the Shannon in the middle of last winter was the worst since 1954. Businesses were forced to close because plant was under water. The unfortunate business people, residents and farmers in the river Shannon catchment area had a cruel introduction to the new millennium. There was a general acceptance by those who attended the meeting in Athlone that the foolish proposition, first made in the 1950s, that the River Shannon be drained should not be repeated. That nonsense should have gone out with the fairies. Let us start from a sensible position. There is widespread acceptance that whatever authority is set up will not be charged with draining the River Shannon.

A large number of residents complained about the way their houses were devastated by the flooding. Christmas by the banks of the River Shannon was a wash-out for many Athlone families in 1999. Evidence of the havoc sustained could be clearly seen when we visited the affected areas. I am very grateful to farmers who drove me around in their tractors and jeeps, particularly Fintan Nally in Conbonny. I recall vividly visiting distraught families in Carrickabrien, Golden Island, Clonbonny, Clonown, Deerpark housing estate and Ballinahown. It is only when one examines the physical devastation of the floods combined with the emotional turmoil of elderly residents that one appreciates the horrendous impact of the disturbance visited on the unfortunate inhabitants of those areas, among others.

One resident whose devastation remains etched in my memory is 75 year old Mrs. Maura Doolin of Clonbonny, Athlone, who was forced to flee her home on St. Stephen's Day when her house, which she had recently renovated, was flooded to a depth of two feet. When the water retreated to the garden the soaked floorboards, damp walls and saturated furniture remained. Debris of leaves, silt and twigs from the Shannon adhered to the walls and littered the floor. The skirting and new wooden floorboards had swollen and buckled and will have to be completely replaced. People like Mrs. Doolin cannot get insurance. I heard on the radio today that a compensation package of £250,000 has been provided for flood victims in Limerick. I want monetary compensation for the people of Athlone, Clonbonny, Carrickabrien, Ballinahown and Clonown who suffered during the flooding and who cannot get insurance. I hope the flood victims of the Shannon basin are compensated but I am particularly concerned about the people of Westmeath because I have been sent to this House to articulate their concerns.

The adjacent farm which belongs to the Galvin family was totally flooded and not a blade of grass could be seen in more than 45 acres of pasture. The winter stockpile of turf had also been soaked leading to a significant rise in costs for all the families in the area. There was grave concern about the overflow from sewerage pipes as the remains of sewage could be seen as a result of waterlogged pipes. This was the focus of the complaints of the Deerpark housing estate when I visited them early in January.

Roads were impassable and people were isolated and marooned. This was a sad indictment of our society as we enter the 21st century. The message from the public meeting in Athlone was that the time for talking was long past. The rising waters had eroded the patience of the people who had suffered the flooding of the Shannon basin. They were visibly tired of witnessing the annual apathy which follows each flood.

There is no strategy in place to tackle flooding blackspots in urban or rural areas. Whatever little response is totally unco-ordinated because too many different authorities are involved in tackling the problem. A statutory authority is needed with real powers and a multi-annual budgeting approach. The authority will have to employ a co-ordinated strategic approach rather than piecemeal solutions which merely solve problems in one place by passing them down the line to somewhere else.

Since 1996 the Office of Public Works no longer has responsibility for the River Shannon. It has been passed on to Dúchas. The kernel of the flooding problem is the fact that no one is prepared to take responsibility for it, despite the fact that the environment of the Shannon has been detrimentally affected by the flooding. Numerous local authorities are in charge of functional areas along the Shannon and they implement the Department of the Environment and Local Government's policies in relation to water quality and environmental control. The Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development promotes pollution protection schemes in an agricultural context but these are rendered useless if there is a major flood. No matter how well retained slurry is, when flooding occurs problems with it arise.

I stood in the yard of a 28 acre farm in Ballinahown and saw land submerged in three feet of water for as far as the eye could see. Paling posts were totally submerged. The farmer told me that after the last flood he had had extreme difficulty in getting £300 compensation. However, following the recent flood no compensation whatsoever is available. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development has said that although there were some losses no compensation scheme is envisaged. The Minister for Finance has said that no compensation scheme will be provided for people such as Mrs. Doolin who lost everything in her home. The mid-winter flooding in the Shannon catchment area was a national emergency but now the motto seems to be, "Out of sight, out of mind". Despite the Exchequer surplus of more than £1 billion, we cannot give a ha'penny to these people to help their recovery. Winter fodder was lost, cattle were stranded and rescue operations had to be mounted. I saw a farmer use a boat to paddle out to bales of silage lying in three feet of water.

Some of the flooding problems in the Shannon catchment area are related to arterial drainage in the tributaries of the Shannon. They all drain into it and this is part of the problem.

Debate adjourned.
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