Ahern in 2004 on flood plains: "people must live somewhere"!

Rebelheart

A guy wrote a letter which appears in this morning's Irish Times (http://www.irishtimes.com/letters/) pointing out that in 2004 Patrick Bartholomew Ahern was asked (by Green Party TDs Trevor Sargent & Éamon Ryan) about planning permission which was given to built houses in flood plains. I couldn't fully believe Ahern's answer so I went to the historical debates section of the Oireachtas website and found the entire exchange here: http://historical-debates.oireachtas.ie/D/0591/D.0591.200411030002.html (3 November 2004)

Trevor Sargent: The Government also needs to take stock and prepare for the greater impact of climate change than might otherwise be the case. I appreciate the Government has had difficulty coming to terms with climate change. A half degree centigrade rise in the 20th century does not seem much. However, climate warming has doubled since the 1970s and since 1990 we had eight of the warmest years on record. Research by the University of East Anglia on rainfall shows that in 1960, 7% of rain was categorised as heavy while in the 1990s it rose to 15%. It is no surprise then that the Taoiseach has been faced with an interest in flooding as reflected in matters raised under Standing Order 31.The Taoiseach claims he is committed — the word must be used advisedly — to a national climate change strategy and the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, spoke about being committed to a strategic flood management policy. What does that commitment really mean? Will the Taoiseach accept responsibility considering Fianna Fáil councillors were actively involved in building on flood plains in Clonmel, Lucan, Dunboyne and many other areas where people are purchasing houses? If he can admit to that, it will indicate he has a job to make up for those mistakes made in the name of his party. We are hearing about humanitarian aid for the flood victims. However, will a capital investment programme for flood prevention be introduced? We are not talking about humanitarian aid. We are talking about Cork city seeking funds for the last 20 years for quay walls and Dublin City Council seeking €150 million for coastal defences. Will this be announced in the budget or before then?


The Taoiseach B]Bertie Ahern[/B: I have no comment to make on the US election. I am sure we will hear the result in due course. Having ratified the Kyoto Protocol, an ambitious national climate change strategy has been put in place. Arrangements administered by the EPA for large industry and power generation installations in the country to participate in carbon trading under the emissions trading scheme, which starts in two months, have also been put in place. The review of Ireland’s national sustainable development strategy for the earth summit in Johannesburg last year has been finalised and published. We have enacted strong environmental legislation, such as the Environmental Protection Agency Act that improved EPA licensing and introduced more stringent enforcement powers and anti-litter measures. The Government has continued to transpose into domestic law other legislative measures from the EU.
Trevor Sargent: Ineffective.
The Taoiseach B]Bertie Ahern[/B: A complete review has been undertaken of the national climate change strategy to ensure sufficient measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are in place in line with our commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. We have finalised the scheme to purchase emissions allowances as a supplementary measure to emissions reduction and trading to ensure compliance with our overall strategy.
Éamon Ryan TD: He means buy our way out of it.
The Taoiseach B]Bertie Ahern[/B: I agree with Deputy Sargent and I hope whoever is in the White House will now take a more enlightened position than four years ago when Kyoto was rejected and the US refused to work with other states. The outgoing US Administration began to examine the Kyoto Protocol in the last year and it was discussed at the G8 summit. Whether it is President Bush or Mr. Kerry, I hope the incumbent will take a more enlightened position. There is considerable pressure on the US to do so.
Water plains were covered in the last major planning Act. Many of the projects referred to by the Deputy have either commenced or are being examined. Some are being held up for various reasons, with which the Deputy will be familiar. Investment has been made in drainage, sewerage and other schemes to ensure we can deal with the flood issue in a more efficient way. Regarding building on plains, since the population has risen by 1 million since 1973 that extra million people must live somewhere

Trevor Sargent: In water.

---

Breathtaking, truly breathtaking. That there is even talk about Patrick Bartholomew Ahern becoming President of Ireland is objectionable in the extreme. When will people wake up and see this individual for what he is, and what he has done to this society and stop using Cowen as the scapegoat for everything that Ahern, as he now relaxes on his numerous pensions and promotes himself as an elder statesman, presided over for 11 years of ruling this state.

Spore

Good investigative work there, probably should have sold it to a newspaper though.

A friend of my father's had an explosive scoop and chose not to publiscise it - when Mary Hearney was defending her ministerial trip to the US and swore blind she never used the government jet to go to Las Vegas - well this chap had the photo that proved she did (she's seen disembarking from the jet in Las Vegas airport with her ministerial cronies), but kept it to himself.

Biggins

Waddia expect - it's Ahern!
Sure he can't even remember his own bank accounts, his horses, his meeting with people, who owns/lives what houses (and what loans they are paying off for him!) that are in his name, who might have given him wads of cash in envelopes at meetings and so on...

One can't expect him to remember the above! Not his his bad memory - the poor man!
He must be all done in. :rolleyes: