The Minister of State will be aware of the south Galway flood relief scheme. It is set to protect 115 properties, family homes and businesses. What we are facing right now is a series of delays and a lack of action. I know the Minister of State is a person of action and he wants to see something happen. In November, in a response to a parliamentary question, the Minister of State said the scheme would go for planning consent by quarter 3 of 2026. I hope this timeline is adhered to because it is vital that both the OPW and Galway County Council have the responses from the National Parks and Wildlife Service, NPWS, have the environmental assessments carried out and, ultimately, can drive on with this project. While it a complicated scheme with turloughs, groundwater, rivers, swallow holes, etc., this project needs to be progressed as a manner of urgency. Right now, the east of the country is suffering but for a long time the west of the country suffered. We do not know when we are going to suffer again, and we need to take proactive and preventative measures to ensure this matter is dealt with.

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