The people of Carraholly and many other communities in Mayo take little solace from announcements of funding when they still feel unsafe in their homes, schools, businesses and on their land because of the threat of flooding.
Four years to build a wall is simply disgraceful. There must be a better balance between the views of the local community and the consultants that are brought in at great cost to draft them. They have failed to have meaningful engagement with or to listen to local communities when communities often have the solutions to many of these problems. Announcements are futile unless there is an urgency to get the physical structures in place and drainage done.
The Minister has to be proactive in ensuring that there is congruence between The Department, Local Authorities and National Parks and Wildlife. People living in Crossmolina, Ballina and in coastal areas like Ballycroy and Doohoma are left at the mercy of the tides or the rainfall. Roads are left in dangerous conditions and continue to deteriorate.
Any future work on flood relief or flood defence must be matched with a will by Government to engage sternly with the insurance companies. In areas where work has been carried out we have homeowners, business owners and farmers still being refused insurance.
The culture must change from insurance companies only wanting to offer cover to those that will never claim. Today I urged Minister Moran to seek cabinet support for the Sinn Féin Consumer Insurance Contracts Bill that would mean that insurers would no longer be able to use technical excuses to avoid paying out on claims.
I also want to know from the Minister what he means by improvements to the Minor Works Scheme. He says that the criteria will allow Local Authorities to come back in where schemes have failed in the past and that it is easier to get more funding to deal with minor works. I welcome this but need to know the practical details. As the debate was adjourned I look forward to him coming back to the Seanad with clear answers to these and other questions.
