Galway County Council is still awaiting a response from the Office of Public Works regarding an application for funding for proposed works in South Galway to try to alleviate the area’s flooding issues.
At this week’s meeting of the local authority, the situation was outlined by director of services Liam Gavin. ‘Red tape’ was blamed for the delay in work by Ardrahan based councillor Michael Fahy, who said there is total frustration among people in South Galway. “It is not the fault of Galway County Council that this work is not going ahead. It is down to red tape. I am proposing that a motion be passed to send a request to President Michael D Higgins, who visited South Galway during the height of the flooding, to request that Taoiseach Enda Kenny pass legislation in the Dail to alleviate the flooding issues in South Galway.”
This motion was seconded by Councillor Joe Byrne, who took a more positive view and said at least things were moving in the right direction. “The slow progress in dealing with the annual flooding is most frustrating and continually has negative effects on people’s lives and livelihoods. For over 30 years we have seen inaction, but there is now a glimmer of hope. The confirmation that Galway County Council has submitted an application to the OPW for funding to progress a scheme, which will benefit all townlands from Skehanagh in Peterswell to the sea in Kinvara, is most welcome.”
Councillor Byrne called for immediate approval on the project from the OPW, and for additional staffing resources be given to Galway County Council to move the work forward. “We must develop a consultation process with locals and there is also a need for technical design, based on current knowledge, be it the Jennings O’Donovan Report of 2011 or the immense wealth of local knowledge. We must come up with a solution, be it implementation of emergency legislation or otherwise, to ensure that this scheme does not have to be submitted to An Bord Pleanala.”
