This country has been washed out by flooding the length and breadth of Ireland. It was Wexford last week, Bantry a couple of months ago and Midleton over a year ago. It is scandalous that it can take a couple of decades to get flood defences to the point of being ready. It must be explained because it seems that no one has control. There is one thing we can do, however, and that is the cleaning of our rivers. I have advocated for this here for over a decade. In Wexford last week they were saying that the rivers are full of silt and the same thing was said in Midleton not so long ago. I have always said that if the bath is full of silt or sand, the water has only one way to make its way out, and that is over and down, and to wash out the house. Will any river cleaning programme be put in place? This is something I have requested for a long time. If it is going to happen, when will it happen? This is very serious.

Sentiment score: -0.06