Flood Relief Schemes
Seanad Éireann — 2026-01-29
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Cathal Byrne (FG), Cultural and Educational Panel

I thank the Minister of State for his response. I welcome the fact the €51 million allocated is still in place, but I have to stress the urgency of this. The residents and businesses in Enniscorthy are beyond frustrated at the lack of progress to date. I appreciate that there are significant regulatory concerns about the freshwater pearl mussel, but we need to rebalance the prioritisation here. The residents and the businesses in a town that has been flooded 16 times since 2000 have to be put as a priority ahead of the freshwater pearl mussel. Perhaps that is going to require legislative change. I will work with the Minister of State and anybody who can ensure that we get this flood scheme up and running for Enniscorthy.
I want to make a point about the phases. Phase 1 talks about the demolition of the Seamus Rafter Bridge in Enniscorthy. That is a bridge where water is flowing over it as well as under it. It was built too low in 1992, when it was put in. My concern is that even if the bridge is demolished and a much-needed new bridge is built, the reality remains that without dredging, glass barriers and significant attenuation areas further upstream, the town is still going to flood. My concern is that as long as the freshwater pearl mussel remains living under the old bridge, we are going to be caught in this cycle of applications, deadlines, rejections and repeated flooding for Enniscorthy. I will work with the Minister of State and the Government to ensure that whatever legislative change is needed regarding the freshwater pearl mussel, we will get there. I thank the Minister of State for coming in today

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-01-29/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:34+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-29