asked the Minister for the Environment the steps which are being taken to ensure that the recent extreme flooding difficulties which arose along the course of the Poddle River, from Mount Argus to Parnell Road, Dublin will not be repeated in the event of future storms.

It is a matter for Dublin Corporation to bring forward proposals for the relief of flooding in the area referred to by the Deputy. No such proposals are before my Department at present.

In view of the fact that the Poddle River, which normall flows at a depth of 12 or 15 inches, flooded some of these houses to the extent that the whole of one room was filled and the water went to two feet on the second floor, does the Minister not consider that it is of national concern and that the local authority should be directed to bring forth a plan without any further delay?

No. The local authorities are constantly asking — I believe correctly — for additional powers and functions to be assigned to them. It is clearly within the competence of and falls as an obligation on Dublin Corporation, in this instance, to implement any proposals which they have for the alleviation or the remedying of this problem. If the Deputy is suggesting that every single problem of local authorities should be taken on nationally, that seems to be absolutely at variance with the often-repeated request from local authorities to have more functions devolved to them.

Would the Minister consider that the very serious problem which arose because of the now not so recent hurricane can be repeated and that it would require a great deal of additional expenditure to sort out the problem affecting the Poddle and Dodder Rivers and that because it is a significant problem it requires departmental interest in the matter? It is up to the Department to take such an interest. The question would not have been permitted in this House if there was not some departmental responsibility in the matter.

The departmental responsibility is that the local authority put forward proposals. I suggest, with respect to the Deputy, that if he has concerns in this matter he should take them up with the local authority in the first instance.