Some of the worst affected areas in last November’s floods will have an indefinite wait for flood defences, Athlone Town Council learned this week, after the Office of Public Works (OPW ) found the €1.8m price tag presently prohibitive.
The areas that will have to wait for funding include Parnell Square, Deerpark Road, The Park, Millbanks and Canalbanks, and no indication was given as to how long this will be.
However, The Strand (€177,000 ), The Quays (€175,000 ) and Brick Island (€120,000 ) will all see the erection of defences under the OPW’s non-coastal flood defence plan. The town will also benefit with the allocation of €289,000 of emergency pumps, the town council learned from director of services, Mr Barry Kehoe.
“These are the five schemes and no area [that was flooded] was left out,” he said.
Iona Park and Iona Villa will be protected further with the creation of an earthen embankment along the western bank of the Talbot Avenue canal.
Applications for this money were made in the immediate aftermath of November’s mini-disaster by the council’s flood defence sub-committee, and its arrival was confirmed this week. The OPW funding will represent 90 per cent of the capital costs, with the town council having to provide the balance.
County manager Danny McLoughlin praised the committee for the speed of the results they produced.
“It was some work to get that sort of money in this time.” he said.
Councillor Paul Hogan enquired about the small number of homes in the Clonbonny and Carrickobrien areas, but was told there was not enough money to protect one-off rural houses.
“It’s different with farmyards and treatment tanks,” Mr Kehoe explained, before assuring the members these houses would not be totally ignored or abandoned as a number of technical staff in the engineering department were looking at various plans as to how to protect individual houses.
“We did say we’d do the town first then look after the country,” confirmed sub-committee member, Cllr “Boxer” Moran.
However, Mr Kehoe did also admit he “didn’t know when the €1.8m will come”.
“How confident are you for getting the €1.8m?” asked Cllr Paul Hogan.
“Well, it won’t be for want of trying. The case won’t be hard made,’ said Mr Kehoe, before explaining the town council was already pre-armed with all the required maps, surveys and aerial photographs needed to progress the re-application.
“This is a marvellous turnaround time given the economic crisis,” said Cllr Sheila Buckley-Byrne as she paid tribute to Deputy Mary O’Rourke.
“Getting 90 per cent of the money in that time is some achievement.”
In an effort to speed up the process, Cllr Gabrielle McFadden suggested the town council help with the cost benefit analysis to expedite the €1.8m application by preparing such details as the number of houses and people in the Deerpark Road/Parnell Square area, as well as with maps and photographs of the area.
