Timeline on drainage works in Dundalk and North Louth called for in Dáil

A timeline on the drainage works that need to be done in Dundalk and North Louth is needed following the "absolutely devastating" flooding event in North Louth was raised in Leinster House yesterday by Dundalk TD Ruairí Ó Murchú who secured a topical issue debate before the Dáil.

The Sinn Féin  deputy said the flooding, which destroyed homes, businesses, roads and bridges across a wide swathe of the Cooley Peninsula, ‘was very bad, but could have been a lot worse if there had been one more day of heavy rain’.

He pointed out that when submitted the topical issue for consideration, he was not sure whether to send it to the Department of Housing and Local Government, the Department of Transport (because of the roads), or the Department of Public Expenditure who cover OPW, highlighting the fact that many departments have some responsibility.

He told Minister Ossian Smyth that parts of Cooley and Carlingford were ‘reduced to rack and ruin’, while parts of Dundalk were also badly flooded.

Deputy Ó Murchú praised the work of the community in helping to try to mitigate the worse of the deluge, as well as the work of Louth County Council Fire and Rescue Service and council staff. There were, however, "huge gaps" in the response, he said.

And while the provision of the government flood compensation schemes were welcome, he urged that "maximum flexibility" be shown to applicants at this difficult time. He also asked for provision to be made for farmers who had lost dry stock, had machinery damaged and fields flooded.

He said that he and Cllr. Antóin Watters had toured the area in the aftermath of the flooding in North Louth and found that at the weekend, people still couldn’t get to their homes because of damage caused to roads and bridges.

He welcomed the fact that the OPW and Louth County Council are to meet in the coming days, but said there remain questions about how the current infrastructure, particularly in Dundalk, is coping.

Deputy Ó Murchú said there are estates off the Avenue Road in Dundalk where roads are flooding "even during regular, heavy rainfall" and said that capacity across the board for dealing with sewerage and storm water drains needs to be looked at, in conjunction with Uisce Eireann.

Minister Smyth said he shared Deputy Ó Murchú’s concern for the communities affected by flooding in Dundalk and North Louth. He said the OPW has primary responsibility for flood defences and added that there had been significant investment in Uisce Eireann in the latest budget for water treatment and infrastructure upgrade projects. 

Minister Smyth said funding had been provided for a drainage area plan for North Louth.

Deputy Ó Murchú responded saying that a timeline is required on the works that need to be done in Dundalk and North Louth and said he remained concerned that there is insufficient drain provision made for the ‘very welcome’ new homes, housing estates and factories in Dundalk.

He said: ‘We were lucky this time, but one more night’s rain and we would have been facing Armageddon’.