I am not being critical when I note that the Deputy puts down this question every month. I wish the project would move at the same pace. I recently met with the Minister for justice and asked him for a meeting with him and his officials with a view to speeding up this process. Like the Deputy, I would like to see this delivered. It has been announced and has been going on for quite some time. As I have said in the past, politicians announce things but it takes time to deliver them. Just as a flood scheme takes 11 y…

I can assure the Deputy that I have put a lot of work and effort into this since I spoke to him and my colleagues since he raised this with me before. The commitment is there from the Government in terms of the money. It is about getting the site and the other parts right, and making sure we deliver, as the Deputy said, for the people in the area. They are waiting a long time for that, but I am working within the Departments to make sure we deliver this and get it to construction.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 19 and 28 together. I am not going to go and read it. The Deputy knows the story in relation to this. It is with the Department, but we are working together collectively. I am working with the Deputy as-----

The Deputy comes in here and gives out the whole time, but he rarely engages in a proper manner to try to constructively deliver this for the people of the community. He comes in and says, "This is delayed. That is delayed." We have to work together for the betterment of those people and protect them. The Deputy knows the objection that was placed on this. He knows exactly the people who placed the objection. He knows what I am doing with him and the people trying to deliver on this. It is unfair of him to come in …

When the report comes out, we will constructively come back to the Deputy and we will work together to deliver it. I cannot interfere with the process. I can bring it to where it is today. If I could interfere, I would do it, but I cannot. The Deputy will just have to wait. While it is annoying for him, as it is for me and the people, I have to wait for that to come in.

I fully concur. I know the frustration that the Deputy has. I know people are on to him. I assure him that I am doing everything I can to deliver on that.

You did not look to go into government; you went on holiday.

You were last in line.

We start-----

Before I take that question, I want to raise an issue with Deputies continuously referring to us in this Chamber as "lackeys". If I stood up in this House and called anyone a lackey, he or she would feel it and I would have to apologise. We represent a group that went into government. I represent the people of Longford-Westmeath who elected me as a TD, not as a lackey. I ask the Leas-Cheann Comhairle to correct Deputies when they refer to us like that in the House. The name calling has to be called out.

In relation to the issue Deputy Lawlor has raised, I have met with Wexford County Council in recent weeks. My team met with the council again in the last few days to discuss the emergency on the coast at Kelly's Hotel. We have asked the council to fast-forward a minor works scheme that we will fund in the near future. This will happen imminently. The application will be back into my Department and we will rescue the area of the beach in question. I know the level of vulnerability, I know what is at stake in terms o…

I thank Senator O'Loughlin for raising this matter. I assure her that the OPW and Kildare County Council are committed to working in partnership to progress the flood relief measures. Throughout Kildare the OPW has completed four flood relief schemes which protect 110 properties against the risk of flooding. A further two flood relief schemes in Athy and Naas are at development and preliminary design stage. The Morell river flood management scheme is being progressed towards substantial completion. A further scheme…

I thank Senator O'Loughlin. She has been on to me a lot in relation to the issues in Kildare and I appreciate the work she is doing to help with what I am trying to do. I did outline to her that the pilot scheme is there but I have also said that the minor works are a way forward. Interim and short-term measures play into the long-term solution. I have been doing this up and down the country. I appeal to the Senator again to go back to the local authorities, where interim works can be carried out to mitigate agains…

Last week, during Private Members' business, I listened carefully to the views of colleagues. We discussed the Government’s work on managing flood risk and responding to recent events. I welcome another chance today to continue that discussion. Flooding has become more common and more damaging both here and abroad. We have all seen the distress it causes homeowners, businesses, landowners and entire communities. Other nearby countries have also suffered serious floods recently. I again acknowledge the hardship face…

Yes.

I thank all the Deputies for their contributions. One theme emerged, namely, all of us working together. It is vitally important that we do not play politics because for the past number of weeks and years gone by, we have all seen the devastation flooding has caused families. While we talk about the water receding, people are trying to get their lives back together. The very thought of rainfall tonight brings back the fear that it may flood again. There has been a lot of talk about what has happened. We launched CF…

To identify communities that are at risk from significant flood events, the OPW completed the largest study of flood risk ever undertaken by the State in 2018. The OPW catchment-based flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM, programme was undertaken by engineers and consultants on behalf of the OPW, working in partnership with the local authorities. The CFRAM programme studied 80% of Ireland’s primary flood risk and identified solutions that can protect over 95% of those at risk. A series of 29 flood risk manag…

I will bring the Deputy back to 2018, when I took up this role in the OPW. The first task I had was to travel the country. Many local authorities would not sign up to catchment flood risk assessment and management, CFRAM. It was a master plan for delivering flood defence for the whole country. Having achieved that in the first couple of months in my role, I then had to go and get investment. With the Minister at the time, Paschal Donohoe, I fought tooth and nail to get €1 billion. That was the start of delivering s…

The Deputy said that no schemes have been delivered. Ongoing work is being done on schemes. We are protecting communities. We are giving the resources to local authorities to drive on the schemes. The Deputy knows that. I have worked with local authorities to push on schemes. With regard to the national forecasting and warning service, I understand that the unspent money the Deputy is referring to relates to the flood forecasting centre in Met Éireann and, as such, would be a matter for the Department of Housing, L…

We, in government, are fully committed to delivering that service. My job, as Minister of State, is to protect communities and that is what I set out to do. I continue to work to do that.