Louth councillor highlights the extensive road damage in Cooley with Minister Chambers

At a recent meeting with Minister of State at the Department of Transport and at the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, Jack Chambers TD, Cllr Andrea McKevitt highlighted the widespread harm that the recent flooding has caused in the north Louth region and in particular in the Cooley peninsula.

The Dundalk-Carlingford councillor says she was grateful to have the opportunity to sit down with Minister Chambers and relay to him, the serious damage caused to many routes in the Cooley peninsula as a result of the recent heavy rainfall.

Residences, commercial establishments and agricultural lands were devastated during the floods caused by epochal rainfall at Halloween.

Cllr McKevitt stated the concerns she has about the regular drain and gully cleaning which, she says, "appears to be lacking by Louth County Council which has been the root problem resulting in many homes, businesses, roads and lands immersing in water and simply had no escape route or place to go."

Another concern expressed by Cllr McKevitt was the "lack of cleaning of our rivers and streams". McKevitt, emphasised her fears given the present state of roads in the peninsula with frosty weather imminent, and sought clarification from Minister Chambers with regards to the prospect of funding from his department, given the scale of damage done and the vast programme of works that are now needed to be undertaken in order to get infrastructure repaired.

Cllr McKevitt says that Minister Chambers acknowledged her concerns and advised that once Louth County Council conduct their investigations and are in a position to quantify the scale of the damage caused and expected costs to repair routes affected, his Department will be open to engaging with it to see that relevant works are carried out and repaired.

Councillor McKevitt thanked Minister Chambers for his "continued support in promoting road safety" and says she looks forward to future engagement regarding the R173 and improving safety measures on this route.