As the Senator knows, I am very familiar with flood and coastal erosion risks across Donegal, having visited the county in February this year. Coastal erosion and localised flooding issues are matters in the first instance for each local authority to investigate and address. Each local authority may carry out flood mitigation and coastal erosion works using its own resources or it may apply to the OPW for funding under the minor flood mitigation works and coastal protection scheme. Since its introduction in 2009, s…

I thank the Senator and he is right. Only a few months ago, I was here in the Seanad giving an update on flooding throughout the whole country. I heard the pain from every Senator who spoke in relation to that and on that basis, I made changes to the minor works scheme. Senators, no more than TDs, need to go to the local authorities and work with them to drive on the schemes. The money is there. I made the changes to allow them to deliver on the schemes. Regarding Inver, my people have been engaging with the people…

If you had come into Government when you had the chance, we would be able to tell you now.

The Minister would like to thank the Senator for raising this important issue and offering a full opportunity to respond. The ECCE programme provides two years of preschool free of charge to families and is based on the national practice framework, aistear and síolta. The programme enjoys a 96% participation rate, with over 1 million children enrolled in the programme since it was first introduced in 2010. The programme provides three free hours per day, five days per week, over 38 weeks per year. Currently, childr…

I agree with the Senator. As I outlined in my opening remarks, I will bring this issue to the attention of the Minister. I meet many children and parents who experience the same difficulties the Senator has outlined. I feel for those people. The programme for Government is committed to delivering on this and we will do so.

No pointing fingers now, Pearse.

I will come back to the Deputy. There has been a meeting between Galway County Council and ourselves. I do not know what stage it is at, but if the Deputy bears with me, I will come back to him in due course.

It is a long night.

I thank the Deputy for his kind words. The OPW does good work right across the region and particularly in his constituency, as he has outlined. I get asked to take over this castle or this monument every day of the week, and I do not have an endless pot to do that. Galway County Council has reached out to the OPW and meetings have taken place, but I cannot say what further engagements have taken place at this time, but I will come back to the Deputy in due course. His colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Canney…

The Minister loved to get that in.

The Office of Public Works, OPW, and Galway County Council are working together on the development of the south Galway, Gort lowlands, flood relief scheme with Galway County Council acting as the lead authority. Gort lowlands catchment is a karst landscape with a combination of underground water, river water, groundwater, swallow holes and turloughs. It is unique at an international level from an ecological perspective. Due to the complex nature of the area, Trinity College Dublin and Geological Survey Ireland have…

I understand the Deputy's frustration and that of the people in the Gort lowlands. This is a very complex scheme. It is one of the most complex we have in the country. When we talk about swallow holes, turloughs and underground water, it is very complex. That is why we have the experts in the field working on this. Like the Deputy and everyone else, I get frustrated but I understand when I meet the consultants and officials in my Department that the delays are necessary. We get one chance to get a scheme right and …

This is a complex scheme but as the Deputy is aware, I made changes to the minor works scheme to allow local authorities to look at measures to facilitate them and the funding is there in that regard. That could be looked at. I make the point to the Deputy that we are so advanced on the scheme and it is so complex - I agree with the Deputy on that - that we have to allow the experts on the ground to deliver on these schemes. I would love to rush it through. I would love to say that to the Deputy but I cannot. I hav…

Blame the poor farmer.

Do not worry. He has a good teacher right beside him.

I am aware of the devastating impact flooding had on homeowners, businesses and the communities of Midleton and across east Cork during Storm Babet. While the issue raised is a matter for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, my office in October 2025 corresponded directly with the Willowbank residents' association secretary, following contact between my office and Cork County Council. Cork County Council advised the OPW that funding had been made available to the council by the Department of Hou…

As I set out at the start, this falls under the Department of housing. That is not me passing the buck. There is no mechanism in the OPW to refund the residents. I respect the work the residents took it upon themselves to do, and I give great credit to them. I met them in Midleton. Somebody must have advised them when they did this work that they would recoup the money and that is the area they should be focused on, and whether it is through the local authority. In fairness to the local authorities, they are very m…

The Deputy has put about seven questions in a couple of lines there. I give him credit for that. As I said at the outset, there is no mechanism. I am fully focused on protecting the people of Midleton and east Cork. I have put huge efforts in, as has my Department, in relation to working with the council to get our planning applications submitted quarterly. I am advancing on that and want to see it happen as fast as possible to protect people. On the question the Deputy keeps raising, there is no mechanism. I am so…

Not with Westmeath.

I thank the Cathaoirleach and Senators for inviting me here. I am delighted to stand before them as Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, OPW, in order to provide updates on significant progress across a number of priority areas. I am proud to represent an organisation whose work touches every corner of our country, protecting our communities from flooding, preserving our heritage and providing the property and buildings infrastructure that underpins our public life. This Government …