Prevention measures averted even worse devastation

Since 1998 successive consultants’ reports have documented technical solutions to the flooding across Galway but cost benefit analysis criteria as well as environment hurdles have prevented them from being implemented.

Following the chronic flood of 2009, at least €1.5m has been spent on flood relief schemes across South Galway.

This will do little to assuage the people turfed out of their flooded homes, the farmers unable to farm their swamped land or the residents forced into lengthy detours due to deluged roads.

However Liam Gavin, director of services for roads and transportation in Galway County Council, said the works that had been carried averted an even more devastating picture.

During the 2009 flood, up to 130 houses had been threatened in Ballinalsoe. Since the work on the East River Bridge on the Dublin Road, about a dozen houses had been flooded or were at risk.

The large scale flooding in Claregalway last time around had also been avoided – at least so far – following the major work on the bridge over the Clare River and a new bridge at Killeeney. The next stage of that scheme – held up due to environmental concerns – had recently been approved by An Bord Pleanála.

The long-term solution of building a channel to take all the water to the sea at Kinvara has not been approved to alleviate the major flooding in South Galway, complained Fine Gael Councillor Joe Bryne.

All efforts so far had concentrated on minor works such as maintenance of river beds and clearing of culverts.

The Dunkellin River and Aggard Stream scheme had been submitted to An Bord Pleanála for approval, with a decision now expected in January. The works are focused on three areas of the Dunkellin River at Craughwell Village, at Rinn Bridge and upstream of the N18 at Kilcolgan, with strenuous objections from oyster farmers. “The current criteria adopted by the Office of Public Works (OPW) as devised by Middlesex University are in my opinion unsuitable for areas like South Galway primarily because our population is not dense enough. The figures do not take in to any account the pain and suffering caused to people affected,” exclaimed Cllr Byrne.

South Galway is unique in that many of the areas affected are Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and Special Protection Areas (SPA).

To  alleviate the flooding problem in South Galway, he believes the Irish Government must seek a derogation under the EU Habitats Directive to enable the minimum necessary work be carried out within designated areas.

“This would include taking measures in Turloughs to maintain minimum water levels by provided structures like weirs, which would control water levels, and being able to provide channels through designated areas,” he said.

“The primary solution to the flooding in South Galway is to get the water to the sea. We must commence all works at the sea outfalls and work upstream as outlined in the Jennings/O’Donovan report of January 2011.”

Funding of €400,000 was approved for the Kiltiernan / Ballinderreen Flood Relief Scheme, with planning permission still awaited.

The primary objective here is to provide a culvert under the N67 road at Ballinderreen with a channel to the sea at Brandy Harbour.

An overland channel from Coole to Kinvara, with a new culvert at the sea outfall in Kinvara, to be designed as part of N67 Road Tender, was stalled.

In the last month, Galway County Council had confirmed it would carry out part of that scheme, working a mile inland towards Cahermore from Kinvara, with a submission to go into the OPW shortly.

A proposal to widen the stream between Roo and the sea outfall at Currenroe, KInvara, which would need a new culvert under existing N67 Road at Currenroe, was also to go to the OPW early next year.

Calls to maintain the Termon Lough SAC at a level which would prevent flooding but enable a pumped system to be provided to get the water to the River Fergus have stalled due to environmental hurdles.

The “swallow hole” where the Cloone River goes underground at Ballylee, had also not been cleared, which may have prevented the devastating rise in levels in the Castledaly, Grannagh, Ballyaneen and Ballylee areas, Cllr Byrne said.

“In the last six months I’ve put in proposals to widen ten or twelve swallow holes to allow the water to get underground quicker. I got an answer back that the owners would have to carry out environmental assessment reports because they’re in SACs.

“We have to get serious here – are ecological issues more important than people’s lives?”