Go raibh maith agat, Chair. I welcome the cross-party-----

Sentiment score: 0.23

Go raibh maith agat, Chair. I welcome the cross-party support for this motion and the fact that the Government will not oppose it. However, I do want to say very clearly, it is one thing not to oppose this motion but it is another thing to implement fully the practical measures we have proposed that will have a significant impact in so many thousands of families and businesses right across this country. I urge the Minister of State to really get to grips with this and drive on with this legislation because it is clear there is cross-party support both in government, from Aontú and right across the Opposition. In relation to Met Éireann, I have spoken to a number of families who are affected by the floods and they are so frustrated by the fact that there is information out there that is available to Met Éireann that is not getting to them. That information is really valuable. It is valuable in terms of preparing for a potential emergency evacuation. That is why it is in our motion, and it is unforgivable that this is currently the case. At the very least, we need to ensure that the families who are affected have all the information available to them. My colleague Deputy Tóibín outlined the motion in clear detail earlier. I will address a point the Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, made about the humanitarian assistance scheme, HAS. We had Storm Éowyn last year in Mayo and right across the west. It affected thousands of families, and many of those families came to me with the application form. The application form clearly stated what it would cover, and the rejection letters then outlined the very things that it was set out to cover and the letters stated what is not covered. For example, food and clothing were two items specifically mentioned on the application form and specifically mentioned in the rejection letter as well. That is so frustrating for families who have been so badly affected. They apply for something the Government advertises only to receive a rejection letter on the basis of the criteria it has set out. That needs to be addressed. This is a serious issue in relation to the humanitarian assistance scheme. When flooding happens in the spring and the autumn, farmers are desperately affected as well in terms of bringing in livestock. That needs to be looked at. We need to assist them in terms of compensation for additional fodder and housing, etc. The flood defence system and the planning system for flood defences are incredibly bureaucratic, and that red tape needs to be removed. There are people who can no longer wait for a planning system that takes ten or 20 years in some cases. That is wrong. The entire House supports this motion, and Government members themselves have outlined this morning that they support it. I ask them to get on with passing the legislation to ensure that the bottlenecks are removed. We have been very clear on what needs to happen, and there is no reason for the Minister of State to preside over additional delays. I welcome the work of the Minister of State, Deputy Boxer Moran, over recent weeks, and it is very clear that he is listening to the people in this time of crisis. I ask him to continue to listen to the people across this country. In Charlestown, in Mayo, there is a river that has almost burst its banks. These families are seeking for that river to be cleaned, etc., and it is so frustrating that still has not happened and we are almost a year after some homes and businesses being flooded. The people on the ground know best, and a clear prioritisation needs to be given to human beings, their families, their businesses and their homes in relation to this. Yes, we need to protect the environment and we need to protect the ecosystem in our rivers, but families and their homes must be protected as well, and in that hierarchy of prioritisation I believe human beings have fallen off the cliff. I ask the Minister of State to listen to families and the people most affected and ensure that human beings and families are prioritised as well. In relation to the recent Labour Party proposal regarding situations where, for example, local authorities purchase equipment for flooding, etc., I ask that they be compensated. I am sorry to have gone over my time.

Sentiment score: 0.07