I want to raise the important issue of flooding and flood relief schemes. We have witnessed in recent months the damage and devastation that heavy rain can cause to people, property and the environment. When I was Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, we initiated a number of flood relief schemes, including in Cork city, Galway city, Ballinasloe, south Galway Gort lowlands, the Shannon Callows and Lough Funshinagh, which is held up with legislation so I do not know where it is. These projects are not moving at all. The reason they are not moving is they are tied up with environmental constraints and every kind of report. The south Galway Gort lowlands flood relief scheme was initiated back in 2016-17. We are coming into 2024 and it still has not reached a stage where it might come to construction. I do not blame the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donovan, or any other Minister because I was in that Department. It is down to the legal framework by which we are trying to get these projects done.

Is it possible to redefine an "emergency" to include flooding and flood relief? It seems that what is happening is that if there is a flooding incident, the waters will subside and everything will go away. The officials will say that it is not deemed an emergency because the flooding does not remain. We must look at the devastation that is caused and at what happened in the Shannon Callows, with the complete extinction of biodiversity in that area as a result of continuous flooding with no relief for it. In south Galway, the lands keep flooding and then there is a huge flood, which means that properties are flooded and people are out of their houses and all of that kind of thing. We must look at what happened in Cork city and Midleton; these events will continue to happen. Can we redefine an "emergency" to include flooding and flood relief schemes as emergency measures so that work can be done more quickly and relief can be given to people who are living through a nightmare every winter? We will also start to restore the biodiversity that has been lost where we have flooding. It is so simple; we have brought in laws that contradict what we are trying to do. We are trying to save places from being flooded so that the biodiversity can remain in place. What we are doing is contradictory. I ask the Taoiseach to seriously consider that.

I have had occasion a number of times in recent years, including in the Deputy's company once or twice, to visit areas that have been flooded and to witness first-hand the devastation experienced by homeowners, farmers and business people when the flood waters come in. I also know that flood relief schemes work. Approximately 50 schemes have been done in the past ten or 11 years in Bandon, Mahon, around the River Tolka in Dublin and other places, and they work. We have approximately 90 schemes in train and it is important that we get them done. The budget for flood risk management plans is more than €1.3 billion and it has been trebled so significant investment is going into flood relief schemes.

The south Galway Gort lowlands flood relief scheme is a priority for the Deputy, the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, and Deputy Cannon. It is planned for that scheme to protect 150 properties and the area has been subject to flooding quite regularly, including in 1994, 1995, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2020. It is much needed. The scheme is at stage one and consultant engineers were appointed back in 2017. There has been significant public and stakeholder consultation. Environmental assessments are being undertaken for the preferred scheme, which involves an integrated mechanism to move water through overflow pipes across turloughs in the area. The ability to build a €20 million scheme in this area is a challenge and might require the removal of significant volumes of clay with limited access routes. Other challenges include environmental risks and the cost-benefit of a preferred scheme. If a viable scheme is identified, a submission for planning is programmed to take place next year.

The Taoiseach hit the nail on the head when he said he has visited some of these places. Lots of visits have taken place. I even remember President Michael D. Higgins came to visit Gort in 2019 and 2020. That is all fine but everybody goes away and people are left with the flooding. As the Taoiseach said, the design team was appointed in 2017 for the south Galway Gort lowlands flood relief scheme. We are coming into 2024 and we are looking at whether it will be a viable scheme. There is an issue around Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, doing a culvert under the motorway. That needs to be taken out of the cost of the scheme because it should have been done properly by TII when it was building the road. The Taoiseach quite rightly said that the likes of the Dunkellin or Claregalway schemes have brought immediate comfort to people living in those areas. The people there are delighted and the jobs were done fantastically well by the OPW and the local authorities. The problem remains that the pace at which this work is carried out is too slow, given the devastation flooding causes to people, property, farms, farmers, livestock and the environment.

On the Deputy's question, which was initially a straight one on emergency powers, the OPW and local authorities do not have emergency powers to expedite schemes arising from damage caused by flooding events and all schemes must meet regulatory and planning requirements. Works for flood relief schemes on an emergency basis were attempted and the Deputy mentioned Lough Funshinagh in County Roscommon, where it was tried. That resulted in a court challenge and showed what an extremely difficult route it was to pursue this. However, the Minister for housing is reviewing the legislation to see if any changes can be made. It should be borne in mind that even with a change in the law, even in an emergency, environmental laws would still apply.