Many houses suffered severe damage as a result of recent flooding. Some people have had to spend over €100,000 in refurbishment and replacing furniture. In order to take remedial action we have been advised it may have to go through the planning process. Can the Department work with local authorities on using section 181 of the Planning Act 2000 in order to expedite flood relief programmes, especially where remedial action can be put in place in order to prevent a reflooding occurring? Someone might spend €100,000 and they worry that in 12 months, there will be a repeat flooding and the money they have spent will go down the shore. I ask that section 181 of the Planning Act be looked at with local authorities to see what can be done to expedite flood relief programmes.

I will speak to the Minister for housing on that. I doubt it is as simple as that. As soon as you do something like that a whole host of people in this House and elsewhere will come forward to say that you have to go through the proper planning process.

It is an emergency.

I agree. I think the flood relief schemes are taking too long. There is huge deliberation and public consultation and lots of inputs at different stages yet some end up in the High Court and, in one case in Cork city, in the Supreme Court.

That is excessive and problematic, given the emergency. In some instances, we are talking about very significant funding. I know that in the Midleton area, people will be spending more than €100,000 with no guarantee that something will not happen in the next 12 months that could render that-----

There is a section in the planning Act so-----

I know, but the Deputy knows, as I do, that it is not that simple either-----

-----let us use it.

-----but we will follow it.