I agree with Deputy Durkan. If the arterial drainage provisions had not been in place in the north and eastern part of County Cork, in the Blackwater catchment in particular, we would be dealing with a far greater catastrophe than that with which we are already dealing. To put it in context, seven people lost their lives in Storm Babet in the United Kingdom. We are very lucky that we are not talking about a loss of life event here on the scale of the water bomb that was dropped on Midleton and surrounding areas. On…

The Government has committed €1.3 billion to the delivery of flood relief schemes over the lifetime of the National Development Plan 2021 – 2030 to protect approximately 23,000 properties in communities that are under threat from river and coastal flood risk. Since 2018, as part of a phased approach to scheme delivery, this funding has allowed the OPW, in partnership with local authorities throughout the country, to triple the number of schemes at design stage to almost 100. In the past five years, the OPW has inve…

The time for construction is limited by the time we are allowed into rivers. I know, for instance, the Deputy's colleague in the Seanad, Senator Boylan, as the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach referred to, has a particular issue with the Arterial Drainage Act and wants to dismantle it. She wants to dismantle our ability to be able to deliver these schemes. I implore the Deputy to ask her Seanad colleague not to go down that route because it will leave many communities in this country in a very vulnerable situation, includin…

I have been referred to as disingenuous.

For the benefit of the House, I will quote from the record of the Seanad.

For the benefit of the House-----

It is important to point out that the Deputy's Seanad colleague-----

-----stated: "Ceasing the arterial drainage works would not only benefit biodiversity but would also reduce the risk of flooding in our towns and villages."

Tuigim go bhfuil athbhreithniú Údaráis na Gaeltachta ar phunann maoine na heagraíochta críochnaithe anois. Le linn an athbhreithnithe, rinneadh taighde ar na féidearthachtaí a bhaineann leis an bpunann sna seacht gcontae Gaeltachta agus tá cainteanna ar bun anois ar bhonn leanúnach leis na cliantchomhlachtaí atá ina dtionóntaí cheana féin agus le cliaint nua atá ag iarraidh spáis tráchtála nó spás níos mó a thógáil ar cíos. Níos minice ná a mhalairt bíonn obair le déanamh ar fhoirgnimh mar chéad chéim do thionóntaí…

Tuigim tuairimí an Teachta ar an ábhar sin. Tá na tuairimí céanna aici maidir leis an eagraíocht eile atá faoi mo chúram, sé sin, Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí. Maidir leis an taighde agus cad atá i gceist ag an údarás a dhéanamh faoi láthair, úsáidtear maoiniú an údaráis ar mhaithe le cuspóirí na heagraíochta mar atá sonraithe sa phlean straitéise 2021 go 2025 a chur i gcrích chun leas pobal na Gaeltachta. Tá an taighde seo mar ghné tábhachtach don anailís criticiúil gur gá a dhéanamh go tráth rialta chun deimhin a d…

Is ceisteanna iad sin do bhord an Údaráis féin. Rinne mé dearmad mo bhuíochas a ghabháil agus rath a ghuí ar na baill atá ceaptha ar bhord an údaráis le déanaí. Is iad sin: Máire Áine Uí Ailín, Sonya Uí Shíoda, Caitlín Ní Bhroin, Mícheál Ó Drisleáin, Seán Ó Cuirreáin, agus cathaoirleach an bhoird, Mary Uí Chadhain. Tá súil agam go mbeidh mé in ann buaileadh le baill an bhoird go luath agus na ceisteanna atá ag an Teachta Connolly a chur ós comhair an bhoird. B'fhéidir go mbeidh díospóireacht againn maidir leis an t…

Ar an 28 Meitheamh 2023, d'fhógair mé go raibh conradh bronnta ar an gcomhlacht Barr Feabhais Teoranta chun athbhreithniú a dhéanamh ar an gcéad deich bplean teanga a ceadaíodh faoi réir Acht na Gaeltachta 2012. Cinnteoidh an tionscnamh seo, a bhfuil buiséad suas le €92,500 á chur ar fáil ina leith, go ndéanfar athbhreithniú neamhspleách ar fheidhmiú na bpleananna teanga seo. Cuirfear aiseolas maidir le feidhmiú na bpleananna ar fáil agus, bunaithe ar an méid a aithnítear san athbhreithniú, beifear in ann céimeanna…

Tiocfaidh mé ar ais arís maidir leis an bplean a luaigh an Teachta i nGaillimh. Sular éirigh mé tinn i rith an tsamhraidh, bhí sé i gceist agam cuairt a thabhairt ar na ceantair Ghaeltachta timpeall na tíre. Go dtí seo, bhí mé i nDún na nGall, i gConamara, i Ráth Chairn i gContae na Mí, i gceantar na Déise, i gCorcaigh, i gCiarraí theas agus i gCiarraí thiar. Is é an rud a bhí i gceist agam agus mé sna ceantair Ghaeltachta sin ná cé chomh tábhachtach is atá sé na pleananna teanga a fheiceáil. B'fhéidir go mbeidh se…

I apologise for my phone ringing while the Senator was speaking. It happens to everybody from time to time. I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, who cannot be here today. The importance of the GAA championships to sports fans is unquestionable. Broadcasting and commercial rights, however, are a matter for the GAA and its broadcast partner. The GAA is free to enter into any commercial agreements, with the revenue generated supporting the continued development of th…

I reiterate that the Minister, Deputy Catherine Martin, apologises for not being here. I will ask her to reflect on the contribution made today and to revert to the Senator directly. As the House will appreciate, it is not a matter for which I have responsibility. I will ask the Minister to respond directly to the Senator.

I am taking this Commencement matter on behalf of the Minister and Ministers of State in the Department of Health, none of whom are available today. I thank the Senator for raising this issue. The HSE has statutory responsibility for decisions on pricing and reimbursement under the community schemes, in accordance with the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. In making a relevant reimbursement decision, the HSE is required under the Act to have regard to a number of criteria including clinical eff…

In principle, I do not disagree with what the Senator is saying. As I said, I will ask the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, to revert to him directly.

By way of background, State intervention in addressing the flooding of lands and the improvement of same by drainage, principally for agricultural use, commenced with the passing of the first Drainage Act in 1842. For the next century, schemes of drainage works were carried out in over 200 drainage districts to improve over 200,000 ha of land. Approximately 170 of those drainage districts remain in existence. Maintenance of these is a statutory responsibility of the relevant local authority. Following the passing o…

If the Senator is looking for evidence, I suggest she look at Bandon, Clonakilty, Clonmel and Waterford, to name a few places, where this terrible organisation to which she refers, the OPW, which seems to know nothing about what it is doing, as far as the Senator is concerned, has alleviated the scourge of flooding-----

I did not interrupt the Senator. It has alleviated the scourge of flooding for tens of thousands of people. I know the Senator has a particular gripe against the OPW but I hope that is not reflected in her party's policies, particularly in rural constituencies. The people that I and the Acting Chairman represent, the landowners and property owners who are beneficiaries of the work the OPW does under the Arterial Drainage Act, would have something to say about that. Any review will obviously take biodiversity loss i…