This country has been washed out by flooding the length and breadth of Ireland. It was Wexford last week, Bantry a couple of months ago and Midleton over a year ago. It is scandalous that it can take a couple of decades to get flood defences to the point of being ready. It must be explained because it seems that no one has control. There is one thing we can do, however, and that is the cleaning of our rivers. I have advocated for this here for over a decade. In Wexford last week they were saying that the rivers are full of silt and the same thing was said in Midleton not so long ago. I have always said that if the bath is full of silt or sand, the water has only one way to make its way out, and that is over and down, and to wash out the house. Will any river cleaning programme be put in place? This is something I have requested for a long time. If it is going to happen, when will it happen? This is very serious.

I thank the Deputy for raising this. He is right. In areas like his constituency in west Cork - Clonakilty, Skibbereen and Bandon - we have seen a number of flood relief schemes that have really helped. I know the people of Bantry are waiting and we are very eager to work with them on that. The point I am trying to make, and to be fair to the Minister of State, Deputy Moran, the point he is loudly making in Government and we agree with him, is that there is a need to look at what can be done in the interim and in the here and now. He has also identified the issue of river cleaning, as well as the issue of small trees in rivers and under bridges over rivers impeding the flow. The Deputy can expect the Minister of State to want to engage with Cork County Council in relation to this issue.