Aid for storm-damaged forestry
Fitzmaurice asks for assistance to clear and replant uninsured forestry destroyed by storm-related fires, while doubting promised communications repairs. The Tánaiste acknowledges the continuing storm impacts and says pressure will remain on service providers.
I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. I know a small bit about civil engineering work, and it will be a miracle. The photo I sent was taken this morning. If all the infrastructure will be in place by 3 June, with Monday a bank holiday, I would be amazed. I hope the Tánaiste is right and that what Eir told the Government is correct but I do not think it will come true. I ask the Government to keep the pressure on. For a lot of the people waiting on these phone lines, it is their only contact with the outside world and the panic button is of huge importance to them.
On the fires that broke out in the area, I ask the Government again about the reconstitution grant. Those people need help. In fairness to the Minister and Minister of State, they met forestry people and went out to sites where there was wind-blown timber. This is a different scenario, though. If they are available, I ask them to come down and look at it. In my opinion, it was probably recklessness by someone passing a road that set a fire going.
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The fire burned a heap of forestry. The Government knows as well as I do that, after 20 years, it is not insured and these people are left high and dry. All that can be done is to woodchip it. That is all that is left.
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They need help to replant. The Minister of State, Deputy Healy-Rae, spoke about the reconstitution grant for wind-blown timber. I ask for those people to be included to give them a small token of help.
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We will keep the pressure on for those who do not have service. The Deputy's second point is one of the real learnings of the storm, that when the network goes down, it is not just the loss of the phone - I do not mean to be flippant - but also the loss of all contact and connection with the outside world. For older or vulnerable people or people who live in isolated rural areas and their families, the impact, stress, mental health impact and worry going on 18 weeks later are a cause of significant concern. ComReg as the regulator and the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, will continue to intensively monitor this situation until it is fully resolved. Then, as I said, there will be a broader piece of work on what, if anything, needs to change from a regulatory point of view and definitely from a resilience building point of view.
On the reconstitution grant and the difference between the issue the Deputy raised about wind-blown timber, the Minister and Minister of State are here today as those with responsibility. They will engage with the Deputy and keep in touch with him about it.