Fianna Fail TD for Roscommon/Galway Eugene Murphy has said that the ongoing threat of flash flooding is a reality which the Government needs to address and the Castleplunkett area has suffered considerably in this regard in recent times with people left stranded in their homes and roads cut off for long periods of time.
Deputy Murphy was speaking following his attendance at a special meeting in relation to flooding in the Castleplunkett area which has held on Wednesday night in Kilmurray Hall.
“The sense of anxiety and fear amongst the people of the Castleplunkett area was palpable at the recent public meeting as so many fear the return of flash flooding which has already caused such devastation in the area. The Castleplunkett to Ballintubber road was closed for long periods and the road is still in a deplorable condition while many people were stranded in their homes and in some cases even the fire brigade could not gain access to homes- this is a nightmare situation for the people of Castleplunkett but there are things which can be done to help prevent such future devastation. The Government does not seem to be at the point of accepting that flash flooding is now a reality and new flood defence systems need to be introduced in County Roscommon as a matter of urgency,” said Deputy Murphy.
The Fianna Fail Deputy said that he was currently in the process of organising a trip to the Cumbria area of England to witness at first hand the successful flood defence mechanisms which are in place in that region while Deputy Murphy said that he is planning to bring a Cumbrian based expert on flood defence systems to County Roscommon to install a model of a flood defence system in a local house.
“The Government has to step up to the mark in relation to the reality of flash flooding and adequate flood defence measures need to be introduced to County Roscommon to ensure that the people of Castleplunkett and indeed other affected areas of the county do not face such a nightmare situation in the future,” concluded Eugene Murphy.