Pettigo flooding: ‘a vast amount of work needs to be done in the six counties’

Flooding problems in Pettigo can only be solved with cross-border co-operation, given that much of the River Termon is in Fermanagh and Tyrone.

Cllr McMahon (SF) raised the matter at the December meeting of the Municipal District (MD) of Donegal, following the most recent flooding which occurred during Storm Bert. 

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While much of the focus was on devastating flooding in Bridge Street, Killybegs and the blackspot of Clareden Drive, Donegal Town, Cllr McMahon stressed: “Pettigo needs to be mentioned in terms of flood relief schemes. 

“There were a certain amount of businesses that had water flowing into them.”

He said that given the geography of the area, co-operation with Fermanagh and Omagh District Council was crucial to solving the problem of flooding on the Termon.

“A vast amount of the work that needs to be done is in the six counties,” said Cllr McMahon. “We need to have a meeting with the relevant authorities there and sort this once and for all. 

“I spent time with the residents there. The river flows down past Britton’s, then hits briars etc growing there. Then it is overflowing.

“We need to have that meeting. We could have it here or we can have it in Enniskillen but we have to have it.”

He was supported by his party colleague, Cathaoirleach of the Donegal MD Cllr Noel Jordan, who added that a Sinn Féin councillor was taking a motion on the subject in  Fermanagh and Omagh District Council.

“That is a starting point,” he said. 

Cllr McMahon referred to the visit to Killybegs of Kieran O’Donnell, TD, who is Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works.

“Former Minister Boxer Moran was going to do this and that and the other and he didn’t do anything,” said the councillor.

“If ministers are going to come into the county to look at flooding, Pettigo should be looked at. I am very disappointed that he didn’t go up there. 

“If you are interested in helping small towns and small businesses and keeping the lights on, we need to do this.”

Cllr Micheál Naughton (FF) praised council staff and everyone who assisted business and home owners affected by flooding in Bridge Street, Killybegs. He said that he had taken advantage of the minister’s visit to the area to talk to him about Pettigo.

Cllr Naughton said that promises had been made four years ago to the people in Pettigo.

“Things happen far too slowly,” he said. “We were given a guarantee that time that it would happen.”

He said that Deputy O’Donnell had asked him for a report on the cross-border situation with the Termon. 

“It is not a huge amount of money that is needed to fix it,” said Cllr Naughton.

The councillor told the meeting that he believed the seasonal restrictions on hedge cutting and other environmental concerns were playing a part in flooding. 

“Killybegs was down to trees and debris,” he said. “We are forced to carry out hedge cutting at the wrong time of year now.

“And it has got to the stage where we can’t clean a river now because we are more interested in the pearl mussel than human beings. 

“If people are living in a house that they are afraid of flooding every time there is a storm, it is not much consolation to tell them it is because of the pearl mussel. 

“People are living in fear. We have a new council, a new government, we have to make sure we get this story sooner rather than later.”

Cllr Manus Boyle (FG) said that he too had spoken to the minister about Pettigo.

“It was on his radar,” said Cllr Boyle.

“We don’t want any town left behind. It was on his radar. We have to try and get this sorted out.”