The No-more-floods Headline grabber
Read more about: Comment, Policy 
Lenihan’s headline grabbing paragraph about investment in flood management will undoubtedly appeal to an element of the electorate that is looking at a particularly tough, possibly homeless, Christmas.
And it’s worth noting that many of those hit hardest would fit the traditional Fianna Fáil voter demographic. Though Simon debates this below…
The minister announced a 16% investment into Flood Risk Management (which equates to €7m). However, upon examination of the excel tables, I note that this investment will be contrasted by a 22% reduction in Hydrometric and Hydrological Investigation and Monitoring (HHIA). As I understand it the HHIA area of the Office of Public Works is responsible for monitoring and studying how rainfall is handled by the ground on which it lands. Surely and important section if it’s planned to handle flooding more efficiently in the future.
Furthermore there is another 3% reduction is “Drainage Maintenance”. Now admittedly both cut sections already had smaller budgets than the Flood Risk Management section and on balance there has been an investment in the combined area, but surely a 22% slice will have a massive impact on what the – from the outside, important HHIA – team can do.
Style or substance?
And it’s worth noting that many of those hit hardest would fit the traditional Fianna Fáil voter demographic.
More Fine Gael I would have thought.