Flooding In Shannon

Flooding of Shannon Region to be Scrutinised at Oireachtas Environment Committee


8th March 2010

The unprecedented levels of flooding which hit the Shannon region late last year will be investigated with all the relevant agencies at a meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, tomorrow (9th) at 2pm in Committee Room 2 of Leinster House.

Representatives from the Office of Public Works, Waterways Ireland, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Central (Shannon Regional) Fisheries Board, ESB, Bord Na Mona, IFA and the Heritage Council will appear before the Committee.

The County Managers of Galway, Limerick, Longford, Roscommon and Westmeath County Councils will also attend the meeting.

Tomorrow’s meeting will contribute to a report the Committee is compiling which will address how best to manage the scale of flooding in the future and consider what preventative measures could be implemented to restrict the damage caused by adverse weather.

Committee Chairman, Se n Fleming TD said;
“Many people in the Shannon and Midlands region suffered utter devastation following the flooding of late last year. There was huge damage caused to homes, land, livelihoods and tourism. Many people are still struggling to get over it.

Questions still remain regarding the response to the flooding and there are still matters which need to be addressed concerning some of the contributory factors. The Committee is anxious to hear from all the groups who represent those impacted by the floods and who had a role in responding.

The meeting tomorrow will give the Committee an opportunity to sit down with all these organisations to discuss these serious issues and try to establish some facts.”