9. Deputy Louis O'Hara asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation his plans to improve the management of the River Shannon; his plans to tackle the issue of flooding in the Shannon Callows; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59983/25]

Sentiment score: 0.15

As the Minister of State knows, the ongoing flooding on the Shannon Callows is causing huge issues for farmers and landowners. It is a problem that is getting worse and worse each year as time goes by. It is having a severe impact on the livelihoods of the people affected. There are hundreds of families affected by this and it has caused devastation. For example, in 2023, farmers lost everything as land was flooded through the summer. In recent weeks, there has been severe flooding again, impacting on land and livestock. People in the local area feel that this problem is now almost out of control. They are frustrated as they do not believe strong enough efforts have been taken to tackle this situation. In particular, there has been a lack of investment between Meelick and Athlone to take out the pinch points and a lack of ongoing river maintenance to get the situation under control. A reduction in the water levels of the lakes along the Shannon, such as Lough Allen, Lough Derg and Lough Ree, should be looked at, especially at times when we can expect a lot of rain. Will the Minister of State outline any specific plans in this regard?

Sentiment score: -0.35

I appreciate the Minister of State's response and commitment to this. Obviously, the issue is that this problem is continuing to get worse and my constituents who are speaking to me do not feel that enough is being done to maintain the river to address those pinch points to get water levels under control. I know that the Minister of State is meeting with the Save Our Shannon Organisation, which represents local people affected by this, in the coming days or weeks. These people know the river better than anyone, having lived and worked alongside it for years. They have an important stake and voice in this and, crucially, they want to be at the table where decisions are being made. They need to be included in the Shannon flood risk agency co-ordination group, which is chaired by the Minister of State. They should not be excluded from this group when they are the ones most affected by this flooding. Will this be facilitated? Can the Save Our Shannon Organisation be included in that group?

Sentiment score: 0.14