Following on from our cross party meeting in Brussels this week on the flooding crisis I note the news today (Thursday) that the EU Investment Bank are to make available 200 million Euro in loans to the Irish Government to tackle the flooding crisis. There is now no excuse for the Irish Government not to carry out the required works to prevent the widespread flooding that we have seen in recent years.
Now that there is finance available all the interested parties have now …got to sit down together and plan the works that are needed to prevent a further flooding crisis. This is an issue that is above party politics and we must at all stages protect the lives and property of our people. We have to put a proper plan in place and carry out the work that is needed whether it be the improvement of the road network, the cleaning of our drains and rivers, dredging where appropriate, and the building of flood defences where there are needed. This has to be done properly because the Irish people will not forgive the politicians and the authorities if this job is not done correctly now that the funding is available