Engineers warn of further flooding as cash-strapped authorities struggle

Engineers have warned that coastal and riverside communities are in for more flood damage as cash- strapped local authorities struggle to provide adequate protections.

Engineers Ireland, which represents 24,000 engineers, also warned that areas that do not currently flood were likely to come under threat in the future.

In its annual report on the state of the country’s infrastructure, the organisation lists a series of deficiencies in the way flooding is predicted and prevented, and graded the overall performance at D — down from a C grade last year.

It says local authorities’ Flood Emergency Response Plans are inconsistent, maintenance of drains and gullies is substandard, and river channels are poorly maintained.

The report also says reckless development has left long-term problems, commenting: “During recent years, Ireland witnessed the inappropriate development of residential, commercial, and industrial properties in flood plains.

“A legacy from this is that flood risk in these developments will need careful management in future years, potentially imposing additional strains on the resources of local authorities.”

On a positive note, the report notes the OPWs ’progress in creating a computer model for calculating the impact of extreme rainfall at river locations throughout the country, which is expected to be up and running later this year.

The organisation concluded: “Ireland’s capability to plan and implement a maintenance regime to manage flooding remains poor.

“The curtailment of maintenance regimes to save money in the short term incurs larger costs in the longer term. Despite the economic challenges facing the country, it is important that resources and funding be protected in future budget allocations.

“The difficulty is that failure to resolve the flooding issue will in turn create still more economic challenges.”

That message was repeated throughout the report, which also gave the country’s communications, transport, energy, and waste management infrastructure, giving waste and water quality a reduced grade.

John Power, director general of Engineers Ireland, said that while the economic difficulties meant less money for infrastructure, investment was necessary to stimulate the economy.

“Investment in economic infrastructure will always generate a positive payback and the reality is capital investment is vital to meet the Government’s desire to stimulate the economy,” said Mr Power.

The report’s publication marked the start of Engineers Week — a countrywide series of events aimed at increasing the interest of students, teachers, and the general public in all aspects of engineering.

* Full details available at www.engineersweek.ie