"People in Arklow today see the aftermath of another serious flood in their town. They must be asking themselves what has happened to the flood protection measures that their Fianna Fail representatives promised them. Joe Jacob and Dick Roche in their last 10 years as TDs for Wicklow have promised time and time again to get something done about flood protection. Yet, even with the latter masquerading as Minister for the Environment for the last two years, nothing has happened. Despite the many promises to fund flood protection works made before the General Election in 2002, the financing simply has not been provided.

"In the meantime, Minister Roche's Fianna Fail colleagues on Wicklow County Council failed to support my proposals for stronger flood protection measures for Arklow in the recently adopted Draft Development Plan. The plan now allows for development on flood plains - a situation that is echoed in Bray, where the Town Council recently granted planning permission for high density town centre development on the flood plain of the Dargle River.

"Why is it that our local authorities appear to be unable to resist zoning floodplains for development even though they know that climate change will drastically increase the incidence of flooding over the coming years, and that international best practice states that flood plains should not be developed?

"The people of Arklow are directly experiencing the consequences of climate change and short-sighted planning practices. Flood protection works are needed urgently if we are to avoid a repeat of yesterday's flooding or worse. With weather patterns likely to become increasingly unpredictable and severe, and as long as Wicklow elects people like Joe Jacob and Dick Roche, we will remain exposed to the reality of regular flooding."