I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and the Cathaoirleach for choosing this matter for discussion on the Adjournment.
Friday, 19 September 2003 will be etched in the memories of the residents of Pullathomas and Glengad, County Mayo, for many years to come. A freak, massive torrent of rainwater poured down on the local mountain, tearing huge craters in the landscape. The debris was washed in massive quantities down the side of the mountain. Roadways were completely ripped up; bridges were destroyed and washed away; small mountain drains and streams became huge torrents, cutting deep ravines into the hillside; tractors were swept down the hills and, as I have seen myself, some of them remain embedded in several feet of mountain soil; dwellings and farm buildings were submerged under mounds of mountain debris; a total of 32 houses were evacuated and alternative accommodation had to be found for these families.
Gradually, based on the geologists' reports, families began to return, depending on whether their dwellings were categorised as low or medium risk. Eight families cannot return because their houses are deemed to be high risk. Another four houses were under construction at the time of the landslide and are all deemed to be in the high risk zone. As of now, it looks as though these houses will never be safely habitable again. Many of the houses to which people have returned were very badly damaged. I visited the scene with my party leader, Deputy Kenny, Deputy Ring, Joe McCartan MEP and Councillor Gerry Coyle. Substantial repairs and reconstruction will be necessary in these cases and in the case of the 12 high risk houses there is the prospect of relocation.
When I was the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works in 1995, I was confronted with a similar situation at Glenbrack, Gort, County Galway, and other areas throughout the country where widespread flooding occurred and where beautiful new dwelling houses were submerged to a depth of several feet, and in some cases to roof top level, for several weeks. I set up a one stop shop in Gort to co-ordinate relief work. I chaired an interdepartmental committee which met on an ongoing basis to assess the damage and monitor the situation. I brought a detailed report to Cabinet spelling out the extent of the damage caused and the cost of restoration and compensation. I travelled to Brussels and obtained money from the Commission. We made Government money available to provide humanitarian relief for families whose homes had to be evacuated. We put in place also the relocation compensation scheme to enable families who could not return to their damaged or destroyed homes to relocate elsewhere in the vicinity. We brought in the Irish Red Cross Society to administer the scheme and it did a superb job.
While the local community acknowledges the excellent work done and being done on an ongoing basis by Mayo County Council, from the point of view of restoring infrastructure, there is strong local criticism of what is perceived, rightly or wrongly, as a lack of urgency or action at Government level. People feel they have been left in limbo. They do not know what, if any, Government funding will be forthcoming. They want to know if there will be compensation for agricultural losses. They want to know if those who have returned to their houses which are damaged will be compensated. They want to know if interim payments will be made to assist those who have no incomes because of this catastrophe. They want to know when a final report will be available assessing the full extent of the damage. That is the reason I look forward with eager anticipation to the reply from the Minister of State.
