Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 25 Jan 1995

Vol. 448 No. 1

Written Answers. - Clare-Galway Flooding.

Michael Ahern

Question:

57 Mr. M. Ahern asked the Minister for Finance the action, if any, he intends to take with regard to the recent serious flooding in Clare and Galway; if he will introduce legislation to enable the Office of Public Works to deal with the situation; and the current stage of this legislation. [1618/95]

Minister of State at the Department of Finance (Mr. Hogan)

Following recent serious flooding in the region, I visited the Gort area in County Galway and Sixmilebridge in County Clare earlier this month where I was met by local public representatives and others to discuss the problems.

Flooding in Gort has been the subject of two recent reports prepared by the Geological Survey of Ireland and the Office of Public Works. Neither was conclusive as to the exact cause but both concluded that the problem could not be easily or economically remedied. The Sixmilebridge area forms part of a drainage district constituted many years ago for which Clare County Council have a maintenance responsibility.

As a result of this visit, I have requested the Office of Public Works to carry out further detailed analyses in order to identify the causes of flooding more precisely and the works necessary to resolve the problems. These investigations are in hand.

In the meantime proposals by the Office of Public Works to amend the provisions of existing drainage legislation to enable them to deal with localised flooding problems such as these are under consideration in the Department of Finance.