Despite being fully aware of the flood risks in Claregalway and Carnmore, the Minister of State Brian Hayes has still not give the go-ahead for flood relief works.
This is the view of county councillor Jim Cuddy, who is calling on Dep Hayes, the Minister of State for the Office of Public Works, to allocate funding for “long overdue flood alleviation measures” in Claregalway and Carnmore.
According to Cllr Cuddy, it has been more than four years since the flooding which took place in Claregalway/Carnmore, but the only works completed have been on the Claregalway bridge and the Crusheen bridge replacement.
Furthermore, since 2009 the local OPW, the Galway County Council, and Inland Fisheries Ireland have prepared reports for the OPW in Dublin, but despite Minister Hayes receiving these last summer, he still has “not given any commitment to provide the finance to carry out the works deemed necessary”.
Cllr Cuddy said it is “not good enough that four years people still have no safeguard in place and every time heavy rain falls they are in fear of their homes flooding. This has also impacted on home insurance.”
The Oranmore based councillor said Minister Hayes is “fully aware of the situation”, having visited Claregalway twice since assuming office in 2011. He has contacted the Minister “on a number of occasions and will continue to make representations until the work has started”.
