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Every day I wake up and look out at the turlough and the first thought in my head every morning is to look out and see if it’s flooded.
CAROLINE COLLINS AND her three daughters were forced to flee their home in Castleplunkett County Roscommon when heavy rains and a succession of storms last year resulted in the entire area being flooded.
The family was unable to access their home for five months due to the road to their house being under four feet of water.
Collins was only able to access her home via boat, with help from the Roscommon Civil Defence, to collect her belongings.
Fearful floods will return this winter
It wasn’t until the end of April they were finally able to return, however as winter approaches, Caroline said she and he family are in fear it could happen all over again.
“It was a living nightmare,” explained Collins.
“There is a real fear element it could happen again.”
Eamon Leonard, also from Roscommon, said his farmyard was completely flooded last year when the water on the road reached seven feet.
“It’s happened three times since 1990 – but last year the rain came on 12 December and the flooding didn’t go until the last day in April,” he explained.
Leonard, who doesn’t live on the farm, said he was very worried last year as he had cows calving. He said he didn’t know what to expect every morning when he would make his way to work.
Farmyard under water
“I had no idea whether there would be access to the cattle in the shed.
“The whole farmyard, under water. It was a nightmare to deal with. It went on for months,” he said.
When asked if he is worried of what might come this winter, he said:
“Absolutely, there is such fear around.”
However, he said he thinks “the penny has dropped” with the local council, stating that local authority officials have been around the town visiting locals, assessing what happened last year and planning ahead for this year.
Evan Curran, also from Roscommon, said while a lot of work by the local council has been taking place over the last few months, it was the local flood group set up by local residents that really drove the improvements to the area.
“I had built a new house last year when the floods happened. The driveway flooded, but luckily the rain had stopped by the time it was about to enter the house, so we were able to get on top of it,” he said.
Local flood group
No one expected that amount of rain last year. In July of this year, we decided to set up the local flood group, which has been in touch with the council, and local TDs, so hopefully there is a plan in place this year.
Leonard and Curran said locals in the area are particularly concerned about their elderly neighbours, some of whom were completely cut-off by the floods last year.
“There were a lot of elderly people totally isolated in this area. There is huge fear out there and pensioners in particular are very anxious,” explained Curran.
Politicians out in force
The devastation caused by the floods last December brought politicians out in force to inspect the damage and meet the locals.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny and the then Tanaiste Joan Burton were photographed in (and out) of boats inspecting the damage the Shannon river had caused.
So, what is the government doing to prevent last year’s devastation from happening again?
Last week, Taoiseach Enda Kenny visited Craughwell in Country Galway with the Minister of State with special responsibility for the Office of Public Works and Flood Relief, Seán Canney.
The area was completely flooded last year, with many houses severely damaged, due to the overflowing of the nearby turlough.
Speaking to the media last week, Kenny said he was happy to report the OPW, council and engineers are doing very significant works in the area, though he said they would take up to three years to complete.
He said the initiative in Galway is just one of 12 major schemes that are underway – with 23 schemes at design and development stage. These works will protect a further 9,000 houses that are deemed to be at risk of flooding, he said.
During the launch of the Be Winter Ready campaign, the government announced there is to be a roll out of a home relocation scheme for some homeowners whose houses were badly damaged in last year’s floods.
Kenny said the scheme is targeted and “very specific”.
Home relocation scheme
“Some houses, older houses, with no foundations have been flooded very badly in the last year and people do not want to return to these homes,” said the Taoiseach.
Fianna Fáil Spokesperson on Flood Relief Eugene Murphy has given a cautious welcome to the recommendations to relocate families living in flood prone areas.
“People in Roscommon, Galway, Longford and Westmeath feel extremely let down by this government, and this plan, while a step in the right direction, simply does not go far enough,” explained Murphy.
“This government needs to start focusing its flood relief efforts on prevention and protection measures, rather than seeking out quick-fix approaches.
“This plan will cost €5 million. That is nowhere near what is required to effectively deal with the problem,” he added.
Farmers
The Taoiseach outlined that he has also been in touch with the EU Commission and specifically the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Phil Hogan, requesting aid for some farms whose business was impacted by flooding last winter.
These are obviously more difficult to move, said Kenny.
“The department used to have a scheme here where there was 75% grant assistance for that, but that has gone because part of the rural development scheme from a European point of view where farming in seen as a business. We hope to pursue in getting assistance for a small number of farmyards and dairies in that regard,” he added.
Flood insurance
Today, Fianna Fáil is launching its plans to tackle the problem of flood victims not being able to acquire home insurance.
The Flood Insurance Bill 2016 will ensure that insurance providers will not be allowed to discriminate against home and business owners in areas with the standard one in 100 year flood risk or better.
“In addition, our bill will provide for an appeals mechanism to the Financial Services Ombudsman for those who have been denied insurance cover on the basis of flood risk,” said a party spokesperson.
“It is measures like these, and not token gestures, that are needed to effectively deal with this important issue,” concluded Murphy.
I love Northern Ireland; I really, really hope that Sinn Fein get into power so we can all unite.
I’d also sleep easier knowing that London didn’t have to pay the €5bn a year it costs to prop it up.
And would you continue to sleep easier with your tax hiking 2 points to pay for an economic policy written in crayon?
4 seats out of 18 is the reality SF in the 6 counties
The people of the North know SF haven’t delivered for them at all on any fronts
SF implement austerity up there awhile talking out of the side of the mouth down here about being an anti- Austerity party .
The people who voted up there seen through there lies and voted accordingly
SF gave up on a united Ireland decades ago. It’s now all about feeding their egos and securing power as a minority coalition partner with Unionists in a UK regional assembly.
It’s more like £10+ billion.
Lion King ,
SF have help implement austerity up north wether you care to admit it or not .
As for the people down South , it’s safe to say around 95% of the population here couldn’t give 2 f ** ks what happens up there
4% of the 5% are barstool republicans who never set foot in the 6 counties ,
SF are the new Labour Party in waiting , just trying to get their greedy noses in the trough
Where did you get the €5bn figure I thought it was closer to £10bn
More like 12 billion, keeps them dependent at the expense of impoverished northern English counties.
Wasting your time King talkin to these West Brits, as you’ll see by their comments all they care about is money money money. Celtic Tiger showed them up for greedy bunch of shite they are.
Good morning Diarmuid. I see we’re majority Nationalist party AGAIN. Oh The fools the fools eh lol. Ah how is that humble pie tasting now?
Bobby Sands seat handed over to the unionists , the people of Fermanagh and South Tyrone have spoken
Sinn Fein have failed them
they want real change and prosperity now
The shimmers managed to drop 2 seats in NI…..very telling!
Paul, celebrating losing a seat and overall drop in support? Kinda pathetic…
Any romantic idea that if Sinn Fein get into power we can all unite and live happily ever after, is what it is – a totally deceptive ideology derived and nurtured from within Cult Sinn Fein’s propaganda machine.
Rubbing out a line on a map,(as already attempted by them by murderous force) to create a ‘United’ territory is a far, far cry from creating a unity of minds which would be absolutely essential for any such Country to get established, let alone thrive.
Sinn Fein and their IRA have proved themselves to be nothing more than an evil, antichristian cult. If you don’t believe me, check out what their supporters comments are in the on-line Belfast newspapers, just for example. Here is but a typical one made in relation to the Bible and a Catholic prayer that was offered up for them to see sense:-
“You forgot to mention about Mary the virgin who managed to conceive a child without ever having sexual intercourse with a man. Of course she did have sexual intercourse but it was metaphorically performed with Jesus’s biological father (the god) who of course had an alibi as he was in heaven at the time. Her partner Joseph must have been fuming though, isn’t the bible amazing?”
Who could blame the majority of the population in the North (not exclusively Protestant either by any means!) for resisting ‘Sinn Fein’s United Ireland’. I certainly could never trust them to govern our land. Such an occasion would undoubtedly also lead to widespread violence which would then be our responsibility to deal with. Any financial aspects would therefore be humbled into oblivion in terms of protecting human lives and property for an infinitely long time.
Therefore, the best thing Cult Sinn Fein and their IRA could do if their dream is to ever materialise in a civilised, Christian manner is to totally disband and ‘go away’!
To the few illiterates who have posted here already. Giildernew’s vote was up [defeated by a Unionist sectarian pact], Molloy’s vote was up, as was Seely who increased SF vote in Upper Bann [Unionist stronghold], South Belfast vote was also up for the Shinners. [SDLP stronghold]. Onwards to the GE16.
A little reminder for the West Brits on here, who are getting a little uppity.
SF support is down overall, also losing one seat, despite their sectarian politics practiced by the likes of Gerry Kelly.
Scotland gets what it wanted so; Devo-max. All the decision making, none of the bills
@ je suis rep
Is safe to say – you talk a whole load of crap
Generalise much?
One piece of info missing from all the articles about this killing was whether or not the gunman was masked. Does anyone know?
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