I am glad to have the opportunity to speak about flooding today. The Minister of State, Deputy Moran, will understand because he has been to County Mayo many times himself. I welcome that, after ten years, the Crossmolina scheme is going to be done. I ask that that project be expedited as quickly as possible as well as the project in Ballina. Many other smaller schemes, though, need to be done in the county, not least in Charlestown and other places. I would ask that is a better join-up between the OPW and the county council. What has happened is that county council outdoor staff have been reduced dramatically over the years. This is taking its toll now and we are seeing the results of it in many places where drains are not cleared and things are not done that would previously have been done by the county council staff. We have situations where homes and businesses are in danger of being flooded or have already been flooded. The Minister of State knows how flooding threats delay growth and development in small towns. I want to bring up with the Minister of State the River Carrownisky and the problems there. They are easily fixable in terms of the bridge that needs to be done. The situation has gone on for years. All the plans and everything for it have been done. I am asking that the bridge, which is serving the communities on each side of the river, be reinstated and fixed. We are talking about a very small amount of money. It can be done with agencies working together, with Mayo County Council and tourism bodies. What is required here is that the agencies work together and not in silos to get solutions to these projects so people can get on with their lives and we can get what needs to be done, done. An awful lot of money is wasted in this country. It would be very well spent in County Mayo in dealing with some of these projects.

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