Call for Ministers to ‘cut the waffle’ on Dunkellin crux

THE IFA’s top national representative on flooding problems has hit out at what he described as the ‘absolute waffle’ last week of Junior Minister, Ciaran Cannon, in relation to plans for drainage works on the Dunkellin River.

Michael Silke, IFA Flood Project Chairman, said that it really ‘made his blood boil to hear a Junior Minister ‘waffling’ about a Cost Benefit Analysis for the Dunkellin four years after the people of this area had their homes flooded and their lives destroyed with the floods of November, 2009.

“This talk about cost benefit analysis reports is an absolute insult to the people of this area. After the horrendous flooding of November, 2009, and the consequent human misery that ensured, to hear a Government representative talking about another reports is just too much to take.

“Following the floods of 2009, we sat down with the OPW and agreed on the measures that needed to be taken to take the water flow resulting from future flood situations.

“This is not rocket science. Two new bridges – Wren and Kileely – need to be constructed, overgrowth needs to be cleared and some rock needs to be removed from the channel. For God’s sake, just go ahead and do the job . . .  at this stage to hear Brian Hayes and Ciaran Cannon talking about more reports is just infuriating,” said Michael Silke.

For more from Michael Silke this week’s Tribune here