Senators from the Green Party will introduce a motion in the upper house of the Oireachtas today (Tuesday, October 19), which will recommend a new approach to flood management.
In a statement this afternoon, the party said: “Floods are an inevitable part of life in Ireland, but the frequency and intensity of flooding has greatly changed, causing significant impact on communities and farmland.
“The task of managing flooding is enormous and further exacerbated by climate change,” the statement added.
Senator Róisín Garvey is introducing a private members’ motion on flooding to the Seanad, which will recommend a “multi-faceted, catchment-based response” to flood management, while maintaining a “multi-annual investment programme managed between the OPW [Office of Public Works] and the local authorities”.
“I’m raising this motion because of what I’ve seen happening first-hand in my own county of Clare over the last few years and across the rest of Ireland… I am deeply worried about what lies ahead if we don’t take action,” Senator Garvey said.
She added: “International best practice demonstrates that catchment-based solutions, using a combination of natural flood management approaches and hard engineering, are the best way forward and cost less than using only hard engineering solutions.”
The motion will call for planting ‘protection forests’ along rivers and lakes to manage flooding risks and a land use review of farmland, forests and peatlands.
“I welcome my colleague Senator Garvey’s motion on flooding. The incidence and severity of flooding is already effecting us… It puts our towns and farmlands under water.
“How we adapt to climate change will play a significant role in the well-being of so many of our citizens. A land use review is underway and this should help inform us how best to mitigate flooding – not just in urban settings, but across farmlands,” said Green Party senator and Minister of State for land use Pippa Hackett.
The motion also looks for progress on a national policy on coastal erosion and flooding.
Senator Pauline O’Reilly argued: “We should no longer build along much of our coastline. Where we used to build houses, it will now be more appropriate to put greenways and blueways.
“We need to prepare for the worst and aim for the best.”
The motion also recommends the development of a revised and strengthened River Basin Management Plan for 2022, which is currently open for public consultation.