This article is from page 5 of the 2005-09-06 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 5 JPG
CONSTRUCTION work on Ennis’s_ long-delayed €24 million flood defence system is expected to commence in [PA veteyeisatcmmnb eaten
As the Gulf States in the United States struggled to roa} 0) oom ALO ME NO CoMmB ENON O:CeLmmEO)E Hurricane Katrina, Ennis Town Councillors heard how irretrievable damage has al- ready have been done to the town’s flood plains.
Cllr Donal O’Bearra (GP) said, “What has happened in New Orleans has shown that you cannot mess with nature. Ennis had severe flooding in 1995 and 1999 and every winter it is something that we worry about.”
Cllr O’Bearra said that Ennis had already made the same mistakes as New Or- leans in allowing housing be built on flood-plains.
He said, “New Orleans didn’t have the proper flood
defences in place, so it is 1im- portant that the government ensures that there is adequate protection for Ennis”.
Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said that the delay in putting in place the defences was “unacceptable”’.
He said, “As a resident of Mill Road at the time of the 1995 and 1999 floods, we were told on both occasions that the council would be treating the issue with urgen- cy, yet we are now 10 years on and no relief system has been put in place.”
Cllr Flynn claimed that the “unacceptable delay at cen- tres such as Clonmel, Kil- kenny and Carlow receiving flood defence works is more evidence of the lack of prior- ity that the Fianna Fail-PD Government is giving to En- TN
He said: “At the moment, what is going on is only a pa- per exercise and I will only believe that work will com-
mence on the flood defences when I see a contractor on site. Of course, the delays in commencing the scheme has resulted in the cost of it dra- matically increasing.”
In a report to councillors on the issue from the council’s executive, they were told that the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and planning documents were substantially completed.
The report states, “It is envisaged at this stage that
exhibition — the planning process used by the Office of Public Works — will com-
mence on October 3 next. The project will be on exhibition in the Council’s headquarters for a period of four weeks to facilitate members of the public who wish to make sub- missions. All going well, the target remains to be in a posi- tion to commence construc- tion work some time during the third quarter of 2006.”