Minister should be able to over-ride unreasonable objections in favour of flood relief

€300,000 Moneymore Oranmore – works commence this year
€8m Claregalway – major works commence in 2011 at best
€250,000 Carnmore – worryingly some years away

Food relief funds announced for Galway are to be welcomed but do little to allay the fears of some who are worried about further hardship this winter if works are not completed quickly, according to Fine Gael Galway West Senator Fidelma Healy Eames.

“Galway residents who weathered the storms last year have been patiently waiting for Government to address the situation regarding flooding before the winter months set in. The recent funding announcement will be warmly welcomed for some but will leave others fearful of things to come.

“The announcement of €300,000 for flood relief works for Moneymore Oranmore will be met with a sigh of relief as works are set to commence this September. In Clareglaway, where an €8 million package has been designated for flood work, minor works are to begin in advance of the major projects which will not commence until summer 2011– a fact that has not been lost on local communities. Furthermore, residents will be mindful of the fact that these start dates are largely dependant on bureaucracy and planning issues to be dealt with, including the possibility of appeals, and they will remain anxious until the final approval is in place and the work is actually complete.

“The situation in Carnmore, which has been promised €250,000, however, is far more serious as relief work will not be carried out there until the work in Claregalway has been completed which could be many years down the road. This is completely unacceptable and a very worrying scenario as three families homes in Carnmore were totally devastated in last years’ floods.

“The people of Galway experienced absolute devastation last year when their homes and livelihoods were ravaged by floods that ripped through the region. Even more shocking than the actual flooding, however, was the Government’s inept handling of the situation.

“The past year has been a long and difficult one for many as they attempted to put their lives back on track. Never far from their thoughts, however, is the prospect of more of the same again this year. Added to this is the fact that flood victims, in many cases, are being denied flood insurance to guard against future disaster.

“A badly needed national flood alert and an advanced monitoring system for flooding, as proposed by Fine Gael, is essential in helping people to protect themselves in the future. This would assist in communicating directly with potentially affected people through a variety of mediums such as telephone messaging, media alerts to action and through other methods such as loudhailer and siren systems. In addition, a well co-ordinated response system is critical at national and local level.

“The Minister must ensure that the people of Galway are not subjected to the same horrors they experienced last year. The announcement of funds are welcome but still leave the safety and security of others in serious doubt this coming winter. In cases like this I believe the Minister should be able to over-ride unreasonable objections in favour of protecting people’s homes and livelihoods.”