News

Republic's flood clean-up operation could cost €8m

Irish president Michael D Higgins met members of the Irish Defence Forces who have helped deal with flooding
Irish president Michael D Higgins met members of the Irish Defence Forces who have helped deal with flooding Irish president Michael D Higgins met members of the Irish Defence Forces who have helped deal with flooding

THE clean-up operation of recent flooding in the Republic is expected to cost more than €8 million.

The government is today expected to approve a substantial increase for flood relief funding at the first cabinet meeting of the New Year.

Irish Minister of State Simon Harris yesterday said the clean-up will be more than €8 million with an increase needed in funding already allocated to local authorities to deal with the aftermath of the bad weather.

He also said the Cabinet is due to approve the introduction of a new long-range weather-forecasting system.

It came as Irish president Michael D Higgins yesterday visited communities in counties Galway and Wexford worst affected by flooding.

Mr Higgins spent time with farmers and local people in Labane, Co Galway where hundreds of acres of land remain under several feet of water.

Some farmers warned huge swathes of their land will be submerged until March while other local people explained how they have been marooned and others cut-off by flooded rural roads.

The main Galway-Limerick road has also been cut to one lane for several weeks.

Speaking in Labane before he left to travel to Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, Mr Higgins praised the community spirit and residents' efforts in dealing with the floods.

"While everybody was very tired and those who have had to leave their homes are anxious and distressed, there was a great sense of determination to overcome these recent events," he said.

"It is especially important that as a nation we pull together now to address the urgent challenge of managing these events and of putting in place the mechanisms needed to ensure better preparedness in the future, as the evidence points to these extreme events becoming more frequent, and accelerating, in the years to come."

Mr Higgins also said he will meet Taoiseach Enda Kenny on January 14 to discuss the crisis.

Residents in some of the worst affected areas of the Midlands yesterday continued to struggle with the flood water after another increase in levels on the River Shannon.

Around 160 people were forced to leave their apartments in Athlone on Sunday night after flooding hit an electricity substation and power supplies were cut.

At the time the Shannon was 3cm above the peak reached in the devastating floods of 2009.

In Northern Ireland, a number of roads also remained closed yesterday due to flooding.

Co Armagh was the worst affected with many roads in Loughgall shut, while routes Lisnaskea and Enniskillen in Co Fermanagh also disrupted.

Belfast City Council was forced to temporarily close Roselawn Cemetery on the outskirts of east Belfast due to flooding at the main entrance.