Stanley highlights extent of flooding in Co Laois

A large area of farmland between Mountmellick and Portarlington is flooded, Sinn Féin Deputy Brian Stanley told the Dáil.  Speaking during a debate on the flooding crisis, he said hundreds of acres in the Barrow basin are flooded and the Nore basin is flooded from Castletown south to Attanagh on the Kilkenny border and through Shanahoe, Boley, Killaney, Cloncough and many other townland. Thousands of acres are under water and roadways are now flooding, which is causing more damage.

“I am informed that some years ago, when the local authority sought to carry out dredging work on the River Barrow, it was prevented from doing so by the National Parks and Wildlife Service,” he said. “As a result, Spa Street and Botley Lane in Portarlington were flooded in recent weeks. In areas such as Killaney, Shanahoe and Boley, one can see that the River Nore is being slowed down and blocked by trees and silt banks. As far as I can determine, the Office of Public Works is responsible for maintaining the river, although there is a question mark about which agency is responsible.

Deputy Stanley asked the Minister for the Environment to clarify the matter. County Laois no longer has drainage boards for its rivers, with the Barrow drainage board being the last to be abolished, he said.

“As a result, maintenance work is no longer being done on the rivers and it is unclear which agency is responsible for maintenance,” he said. “The local authority believes it is responsible for smaller rivers. Will the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government instruct the Office of Public Works to inspect the River Nore? Will he provide funding to assist the local authority in having the river cleaned? Will he also ensure that the habitats and water directives are not used to prevent necessary work from being carried out on the River Nore? While I accept that this work cannot be done this week or next week, it must be done in drier periods of the year.”

The problems being experienced in Portarlington, a low-lying town, as a result of flooding of the River Barrow must be addressed, he said. The town's population of approximately 7,000 people cannot be left at risk of flooding. Action must be taken to protect communities, businesses and households in the town.

“I have met farmers living in Garryhedder outside Clonaslee who cannot obtain insurance, yet part of the townland lies on the slopes of the Slieve Bloom Mountains,” he said. “When one drives on the main road from Clonaslee through Cadamstown into County Offaly towards Coolacrease, the slopes of the Slieve Bloom Mountains are visible on the left-hand side. These areas area zoned as being at risk of flooding because they are in the townland of Garryhedder. In addition, the Esker Ridge on the Ridge Road in Portlaoise is included in the at risk zone, yet anyone standing on it can look down across the town. This is ludicrous. The Bianconi Way housing estate, which has never flooded, and the Lake Glen and Wood Lawn housing estates are also included, as are many other housing estates. The Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) mapping was done by someone sitting at a desk who did not take the trouble to visit the areas being included in the at risk zones. I understand the process is being done again.”