Ahern assures Mayo landslide victims

FAMILIES hit by last month’s landslides in north Mayo say they have received personal assurances from Taoiseach Bertie Ahern that sufficient funds and expertise will be made available to repair and protect their devastated communities.

Mr Ahern paid a private visit to the region yesterday afternoon to see the extent of the damage and meet the people of the three villages worst affected by the freak disaster.

He was first flown over the area by helicopter to see the mounds of earth that swept off the side of Dooncarton Mountain before touching down at Pullathomas graveyard, a section of which was pushed into the sea.

Afterwards he met local people at Glengad and heard their concerns about the way the disaster, their suffering and fears for the future were being handled by the authorities.

Dooncarton Landslide Committee chairman, Brian Wilson, said the Taoiseach had identified three priority issues - the restoration of roads, bridges and other infrastructure; the protection of homes and prevention of further slides, and the distribution of humanitarian aid - and given assurances that everything possible would be done to address them.

“We still need to clarify how the aid programme and the protection measures will work and we will need to be sure that the infrastructure is not just patched up but replaced to standards that are acceptable to us, but in general we feel we got a strong commitment that everything necessary would be done,” said Mr Wilson.

“I think when the Taoiseach actually saw some of the damage for himself, he was able to relate to it and see what the priority issues were.”

Mr Ahern’s visit followed criticism by residents of the area over his apparent lack of concern for them in contrast to his high profile response to flooding victims in his own Dublin constituency last year.

The visit was fitted in at short notice as part of a pre-arranged trip to Mayo where the Taoiseach was performing the official opening of a hotel and attending a Fianna Fail party function.

Mayo County Council engineers who have been surveying the damage are due to deliver their final report to the council and the Government in the next few days.

Mr Wilson said the Taoiseach had promised a fuller plan of action when the report was available and had appointed Junior Minister Eamon O’Cuiv to liaise with the residents while details were worked out. Minister O’Cuiv is due to make his second visit to the area today.

Just 19 out of the 40 households affected by the landslides have been categorised as being in low risk areas and while some householders in medium risk areas have returned to their homes, others are afraid to go back.