Call for new flood alert warning system

By Shaun Connolly, Political Correspondent

Saturday, November 21, 2009

A NEW national flood alert system has been demanded as the country braces itself for further chaos sparked by severe weather.

Fine Gael environment spokesman Phil Hogan said people had been let down by arrangements and only a major overhaul would bring hope of avoiding similar scenes in the future.

"We need a new national system of flood alert codes that results in co-ordinated, preventative action from local authorities, civil defence, the Office of Public Works and the emergency services.

"England and Wales already use a similar system. In the UK. The Environment Agency, using the latest available technology, monitor rainfall, river levels and sea conditions 24 hours a day and use this information to forecast the possibility of flooding. If flooding is forecast, warnings are issued direct to peoples homes and phones and via the media.

"Flood wardens are also employed in certain local communities and public address, loudhailer and siren systems are also used.

"Each of the four codes used indicates the level of danger associated with the warning. The codes are not always used in sequence; for example, in the case of a flash flood, a Severe Flood Warning may be issued immediately, with no other warning code preceding it. While this, obviously, won’t tackle all the problems caused by floods, it will maximise public safety and give people the maximum amount of warning needed to prepare their homes and businesses," he said.

Mr Hogan will use Fine Gael Dáil time next week to put forward the proposals, which will also seek to ensure the Environment Department supports local authorities in providing safe drinking water to those communities that have seen their drinking water contaminated as well as to review the national flood relief capital programme.

Minister of State for the Office of Public Works Martin Mansergh defended the Government’s record in putting flood defences in place.

He said efforts to protect places like Clonmel had been held-up by issues beyond Government control, such as the discovering of an historically important site.

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Saturday, November 21, 2009