Flood plan failure to be raised in Dáil

THE failure by the authorities to activate Co Limerick’s major emergency plan when Newcastle West and wider areas of west Limerick were swept by massive floods on the night of July 31/August 1 is to be raised in the Dáil.

Local residents are angry that lives were put at risk because the major emergency plan was not swung into action.

Some families in the Newcastle West area are still unable to move back to their homes. No compensation has been paid to businesses and homeowners who have paid out huge sums of money in repairs and clean up work. Some people have been given assistance through welfare payments.

Limerick County Council have sought €2 million from the Department of the Environment to commence repair work on roads and bridges damaged in the huge flood.

The county council has come under fire from local councillors over the absence of important details in a consultant’s report into the flooding which was given to the elected representatives.

This information came to light when the local flood committee got a copy of the full report.

Cllr Patrick O’Donovan (FG) said yesterday he has contacted his party’s environment spokesman, Phil Hogan TD, to raise many issues arising from the flood with the Environment Minister in the Dáil.

Mr O’Donovan said: “People need to have confidence in the system and that the system works. It may transpire that everything was done, but people need to be reassured and many questions need to be answered.

Mr O’Donovan said he has also contacted Máiréad McGuinness MEP to bring the west Limerick floods to the attention of the European parliament’s petitions committee.

Auctioneer Pat O’Donovan, chairman of the flood committee, said the county council should not have proceeded to complete the local area plan for Newcastle West recently because of comments made in the consultant’s report about the area plan.

The committee has called another meeting for next Monday night.