This article is from page 18 of the 2009-12-08 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
ENNIS Town Council has been urged to listen to the views of the local peo- ple when it re-evaluates its flood risk assessment for all areas of Ennis.
Speaking at yesterday’s meeting of Ennis Town Council, Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) said local people, par- ticularly elder members of the com- munity, should be given an input into the assessment.
He said, “Will you take local knowledge into account before you get consultants to look at photos? Listen to the local people.” During last month’s period of heavy flood- ing, areas of Ennis were washed out after drains overflowed.
Cllr Brennan told yesterday’s meet- ing that some drains in the town “had not been touched in 40 years”.
“Talk to local people and sit down with the older people. They know where the water goes,’ he said.
Town Engineer Eamon O’Dea con- firmed yesterday that the council will be evaluating recent flood events.
In response to a motion submit- ted by Cllr Brian Meaney (GP), Mr O’Dea stated, “Following the evalu- ation of the recent flooding events in certain parts of Ennis, the council will be seeking funding to carry out works to reduce the impact of heavy rainfall events on certain areas of the rena tae
Mr O’Dea said the council had col- lected a substantial amount of data on the recent flooding. He also re-it-
erated that if it weren’t for improved river wall defences at Parnell Street and Woodquay, floodwater would have reached as far as Clonroad.
Cllr Meaney’s motion along with that of Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG), which calls for the construction and re-location of a flood barrage from Latoon to Clarecastle, will be sub- mitted to the next meeting of Clare County Council.
Cllr Paul O’Shea (Lab) asked how much the council had spent on hous- ing a flood hit Traveller family of
nine in the West County Hotel.
Town Manager Ger Dollard told the meeting that he did not know the cost. He said the number of people currently in temporary hotel accom- modation as a result of flooding was going down.
Figures supplied yesterday by En- nis Town Council showed that of the 28 local authority houses damaged by floods, 23 were evacuated with 21 of those families being housed in the West County Hotel.
According to the council two fami-
lies have returned home, three have been temporarily housed in Ennis Town Council accommodation and 11 have secured private rented ac- commodation.
In terms of repairs 18 homes are ex- pected to be ready before Christmas with the balance through January.