Enniscorthy flooding and coordination
Deputy Lawlor raised conflicting ministerial comments about flooding in Enniscorthy and responsibility for the response. The Tánaiste acknowledged the town’s flood history, said €51 million is funded for relief, and stressed joint work among agencies; he also said a minister was visiting the area.
Yesterday, on South East Radio, the Minister, Deputy Browne, who is the Minister with responsibility for the national emergency co-ordination group laid the blame for the latest flooding incident in his home town of Enniscorthy firmly at the door of Met Éireann. Incredibly, today, on the same radio station, the same Minister, who also has responsibility for local government issued a statement effectively blaming Wexford County Council for the lack of a planning application for a new flood relief scheme. On 15 April 2025, I attended a meeting in Enniscorthy with the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, and senior officials of the OPW at which they outlined the new flood relief scheme plans to public representatives and Wexford County Council officials.
The long-suffering people of Enniscorthy deserve much better than this. When a Minister in control of agencies and Departments with direct responsibility will not take responsibility for their portfolios, what hope do they have? I ask for the Tánaiste’s direct intervention to resolve this dreadful ongoing nightmare for the homeowners and businesses of Enniscorthy.
Comment on this
First, I absolutely recognise the Deputy's characterisation of this as an ongoing nightmare for the people of Enniscorthy, a town that has flooded many times. Government announcements have been made and Government funding of €51 million has been put in place and people want to see the flood relief scheme delivered. I know we have that as a shared objective.
I listened to the Minister's comments with regard to Met Éireann. My view of what he said was that he was certainly not blaming Met Éireann. We need to have a discussion about the information that we can put out there. We had a yellow rain warning. That is a not a criticism of Met Éireann.
Comment on this
What about the national emergency co-ordination group?
Comment on this
A yellow rain warning is very different in the context of flooding when river levels are so high. We need to see how we can all work together, including local authorities, Met Éireann, the OPW and the Government, at a time when we are seeing more frequent adverse weather events. The Minister of State, Deputy Boxer Moran, is visiting Enniscorthy in the Deputy's constituency today to engage directly.