Blueprint to help futureproof against Shannon floods

A FIANNA Fáil Bill to be tabled in the upcoming Dáil session could at last put in place the framework for practical flood relief measures in the Shannon catchment area, according to local TD, Anne Rabbitte.

She said that the Electricity Supply (Management of the River Shannon Bill) 2016, while not being a panacea for all the flooding problems along the river, ‘would act as a catalyst for a bundle of proposals’ aimed at alleviating flooding.

Deputy Rabbitte that those proposals would include the introduction of a single River Shannon Agency Bill that would eliminate the bureaucracy in addressing problems.

“A flood insurance fund similar to that introduced in the UK will follow, as will enhanced funding of €50 million for flood defences, which also target investment in key areas highlighted by the CFRAMS [Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management] project.

She said that the Bill had been based on local knowledge and tireless hours of research and lobbying – Deputy Rabbitte also paid tribute to the expertise and contribution of Eyrecourt’s Michael Silke to the Bill.

It is co-launched with Deputy Rabbitte’s Fianna Fáil’s Dáil colleagues – Offaly Deputy Barry Cowen, Westmeath TD Robert Troy and Roscommon/Galway representative Eugene Murphy, who is also the party’s spokesman on OPW.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.