The Government cannot “wave a magic wand and just deliver” flood relief projects, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said during a visit to homes and businesses impacted in Co Wexford, reports RTE.
Mr Martin met residents along Island Road in Enniscorthy, a location that suffered severe flooding in recent weeks after the River Slaney overflowed during Storm Chandra, reports RTE.
He told one resident that the Government is “determined to do a number of short-term measures first” to lessen the effects of flood damage.
A Status Yellow rainfall warning is set to take effect for Cork, Waterford, Carlow, Kilkenny and Wexford from 9pm tonight until 3pm tomorrow, reports RTE.
A separate Status Yellow rain alert covering Wicklow, Dublin and Louth will come into force from 6am tomorrow as rain tracks northward along the east coast from the south.
They said continued heavy rainfall on already saturated ground, combined with elevated river levels and high tides, is expected to cause localised flooding, river flooding and challenging travel conditions, reports RTE.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Martin said it was “a soul-destroying experience to have your house flooded or your business flooded, and there has been a pattern here over many decades of flooding at this location”.
“Our objective is first of all to provide humanitarian support to the families and also supports to the businesses that have been impacted,” he said, reports RTE.
“Secondly, the Office of Public Works (OPW) will work with the local authority in respect of interim measures to try and protect these houses and this location more generally and there are interim measures that can be taken to provide that protection and that reassurance, and that we will do, reports RTE.
“Obviously, then, thirdly, the substantial, comprehensive scheme itself will be submitted for planning and it is complex, all of these schemes are, but nonetheless, we want to get that started.”
Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers yesterday accepted that the rollout of flood relief schemes in Ireland has been “too slow”, reports RTE.
When asked whether the Government could “expedite” flood relief projects, Mr Martin said planning processes “have to be gone through, there’s no question”.
He added: “We’ll do everything we can to speed up the progress of a scheme, going through the planning process and the design and development works itself, reports RTE.
“These are very comprehensive schemes. They are complex. I’m not going to try and pretend that we can wave a magic wand and just deliver them. That would be wrong to do.
“But what we can do, it’s a parallel approach, the interim measures, whilst doing everything we can to shave off time.”
events.
Mr Martin said he has called a meeting tomorrow involving senior ministers and the National Emergency Coordination Group (NECG) to assess weather warning systems, reports RTE.
“There will be an overview of our systems and the framework that we have at the moment that deals with major events of this kind.
“They’re happening with greater frequency, and that’s something we will be examining.”
People observe floodwater in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, reports RTE.
Meanwhile, Minister for Housing and Local Government James Browne, who accompanied the Taoiseach, was asked whether he believed Met Éireann had withheld weather information last week.
This afternoon he said: “The phrase I used was ‘guarding’, and it was in relation to very highly technical data, in relation to flooding not weather forecasting, and I’ve met with the director of Met Éireann since then, and what we’re looking at [is] how we can, I suppose, make that data viable information that can be used”, reports RTE.
The National Emergency Coordination Group has warned that flooding risk across the east and southeast is “very high” in the coming days, with further heavy rain expected.
NECG chair Keith Leonard said peak rainfall levels are forecast for tomorrow and Wednesday, reports RTE.
“We’re watching all the catchments, the Slaney catchment in particular, the Liffey catchment,” he said on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme.
“But really right across the east region, even up to Cavan and Monaghan, flooding is likely in all of those areas”, reports RTE.
Mr Leonard said the Carlow, Kilkenny and Slaney catchments are currently at peak levels, and while councils had hoped for some relief over the weekend, “we are back into really difficult conditions this week”.
Met Éireann meteorologist Mark Bowe earlier said the coming days will be an “unsettled week” with persistent rain continuing until Friday or Saturday, reports RTE.
He said the south and east are likely to be worst affected as a complex low-pressure system remains positioned to the southwest, bringing prolonged rainfall throughout the week with intermittent breaks.
Mr Bowe said that while individual rainfall totals may be modest, the cumulative effect across the south and east will result in impacts such as localised flooding, reports RTE.
This week is also expected to bring between one and two times the average rainfall, and due to saturated ground conditions, there is currently nowhere for excess water to drain.
The NECG has said emergency services and local authorities remain on high alert, reports RTE.
People have been advised to stay informed through updates from Met Éireann and local authorities, and to call 999 or 112 if urgent help is required.
Meanwhile, Cork City Council has confirmed traffic restrictions in advance of anticipated flooding along several low-lying city centre quays, reports RTE.
The council said surface water is expected on the quays during high tides, which are forecast after 6pm.
The quays expected to be affected include Wandesford Quay, Lavitts Quay, Union Quay and Kyrl’s Quay, reports RTE.
The council said Wandesford Quay will be closed between 5pm and 7pm, while lane restrictions are also anticipated on Lavitts Quay during the same period.
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