Minister admits poor planning to blame for devastation

THE junior minister with responsibility for flood management has admitted poor planning is to blame for many homes beingdestroyed by water in recent days and said the Government will take a much more “rigorous” approach in future.

At last 600 families have had to flee their homes as they became submerged in flood water in the past week and many fear they won’t be able to return for Christmas, if at all.

But these houses “shouldn’t have been put where they were” in the first place, according to minister with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, (OPW) Martin Mansergh.