During statements on flooding, which have been taking place in the Dáil over the past number of  weeks, I have used the opportunity to raise the following:

– The commendable work done by Minister Hayes in expediting the building of flood defences

– The Minister’s engagement with local communities in Dublin Bay South following the extreme flooding of October 2011

– The need to ensure that money and resources already committed to building flood defences along the Dodder are maintained

– Problems with the Insurance Industry in agreeing a communication management platform with the OPW

– The necessity to build national strategic flood defences that would protect Dublin Bay and the Liffey, and to prioritise this over local concerns

– The urgency in upgrading the Pembroke-Rathmines drainage system and the need to get a time-bound commitment from Irish Water in this regard.

Click here to watch my speech.