Ennis Municipal District Renews Flood Concerns

0:00As you've been hearing on our news, Bulletin's NSMD has requested for the county's five or octas members to attend next month's MD meeting. Following concerns raised over flooding in the south of the town, Claire Castle Fina Fall, Councillor Toma Callan proposed a motion calling to expedite the publication of the NSFF relief scheme, with those in the council chamber also looking for Claire T.D.'s and senators to attend the October meeting to address issues with wastewater capacity in Claire Abbey and delays in housing delivery south of NSF as a result. Claire Callan suffered damage to his home and floods hit the county town back in 2009, and since then, over 60 million euro was being committed to flood relief schemes in NS, however, a number of regions such as Clarine, the Fergus Minor and the Carvaron have yet to be protected. Claire Femmes-Daroel Gray, he was at the meeting and spoke with the Claire Castle Fina Fall Councillor Toma Callan on the urgency with which the relief scheme is needed, given changes in climate patterns. This broadcast package on Claire Femmes is funded by the local democracy reporting scheme.

1:01It's one thing that we've noticed very recently is where some by climate change and there's no doubt about it, with the storms that we're having, with the increased level in water, and it is having detrimental effects in certain areas. Now we were very much aware back in 2009, we had that problem as you well know with the flooding in NS, I myself had a problem at home, actually got to drive that time. So I have a real interest in seeing, you know, is there better ways we can go forward? And how are we protected right now? And that's really what this motion was on about. And you touched on it there, your own personal experience, and we've seen it in recent weeks, down in Clarine, you just how quickly this can come along even in the situation in Clarine, no weather warning forecast, and it can still occur. Yeah, and also in Dublin, the East to the country areas that got East to have never been hit before. So this is something we do very clear on. Now, what we have been very far to the course is, and we have been very proud to be clear, 60 million has been spent in defenses currently since 2009, and that's very welcomed.

2:05But there's one thing that we have to very clear as well is in Clarine Castle, there's the barrage there that, you know, that basically works on the levels of water, the tide is up, it's closed, it opens, and it allows to ensure that water can get true, but not obviously too much in the event of too much goes through, then we have flooding in areas of our town. But what has been agreed is that there is now going to be a review done, and there's going to be maintenance on that, which is very positive. And also, the maps, and I think that's really important. We have to look at areas within our town that don't have those defenses, and these are areas like him Clarine has been mentioned, and you know, the Fergus Minor and the small little streams. And we, you know, you've Caravan River and Caracalla Stream, these are areas that really are protected. So the idea of the map is that we can now focus on where there isn't adequate defenses. We can then get a report done, and on that basis, we now apply to the OPW, and we need

3:05to address these areas. There is nothing worse than seeing a business getting destroyed or to see people's homes being ripped apart. And it's something that we can deal with, but to do that, we have to plan ahead. And that's really what this motion was about, and the replies that God has given me conference. That is the role that we're now on. Yeah, you mentioned the reply there, and it mentions, I suppose, some flood relief schemes in parts of the town, but I suppose in this particular instance, it's the south of town that comes to focus in terms of flood defense. Yes, and it's something that we need to be clear. The volume of water that comes in a very sharp space, the time, can really catch you offhand. You know, we've also said about surface water. Even in Caracalla, very recently, we had a one-tool flash load, and suddenly there was a water that was arriving out of nowhere, and I actually got a fuck, God, sandbags. That's the local representative. But important to realize is that if we plan ahead, you know, we've seen now that they're talking that there's an increase of temperature.

4:05It's hard to believe 1.5 degrees, and that has such a significant difference on the pattern of our water. So this is not going away. This is actually going to increase. So now we need to proactively work on that. So the Caracalla Brideg is now going to get maintenance, which has now been highlighted, needs to be done. We're now looking at areas mapped out where there are and is vulnerability right now. Let's be clear on that. So on the interest of all those people, in the interest of our businesses and of the existing works that have been done, this work has to happen. And that is what we're trying to achieve. And what has been agreed now is that the report will be done, and we'll be in a position to go to your PW to ensure we get funding to protect all those areas. And that would be a fantastic achievement. You mentioned the confidence that you were given from the reply, I suppose. There was also some frustrations in the Council Chamber as a result of that as well. I suppose, Councillor Marie Howard mentioned it may be a lack of accountability from from HGAR and in projects such as this.

5:07Oh yeah, but you look, we're talking about which is close all our heart is the wastewater plant in Claire Castle. I mean, it's at maximum capacity. It needs to be addressed. I put a proposal forward. It has been accepted. We need our Roxas members in the chamber. We need to make it very, we cannot develop our own area without that infrastructure in place. We have a fantastic addition like a very else, an employer very near again can't hook. So all these things have detrimental effects. So really I felt that today was very positive and that we're forward thinking, we're planning. And that's really what a working chamber does. But the message has to be very strong and has to come back to the Roxas members. Funding is required. The OPW will act, but we have to provide the information. And that is why it was so crucial that we get those maps in all areas that are not protected, but also we maintain the barrage. The barrage is there, I think since 1945. So it needed to be, I suppose, upgraded to a standard that would work adequately in the

6:09event of any trench of rain that can happen. And by the way, it does happen. And we saw that, as you rightly said in Kerry, we've seen that open the east past the country. But today was a good day. And I think that we're on the right path. And we're all clicky working to find solutions going forward. And just to finish the support of the other members in the council here in the chamber today, in terms of asking for the Roxas members to appear at the October meeting, that has to give you a bit of confidence that this is going to be progressed, hopefully in the near future. Well, I think that's really what it boils down to. I mean, we actually had another topic which is on about reducing traffic in housing estates. And I made one example there of hard turns two years ago, got agreement. And the answer was, far too, we've no funding. That's not acceptable. So that's another part of on the agenda of that day that we have to address these issues. These are about people's lives. And it does affect everybody. And unless we have the right message strongly sent to Dublin, nothing happens. And that's what this is all about. In a funeral, Councillor Pattenley, thanks for speaking to me here today.

7:12I suppose you were one of the first names to bring forward the idea to bring the five Roxas members into the October meeting of NSMD to discuss NSFLOID relief schemes. I suppose what was the decision that prompted this? When we discussed the NSFLOID relief scheme, because of a motion by Councillor Kelleyhann. And it's a vital card in NSMD, the hinterland, a fighting, loading and promoting and developing the town. And just very support for this motion. But when you look at a clear custom treatment plant, this is a very serious origin matter, no capacity in the moment or water or storage. So that means that, so to have in a clear castle, that area there, you cannot go ahead with development at the moment because of the NSFLOID scheme. It's not NSFLOID scheme. It's not up to these theories of creating. And that's the reason that I called in the proposed, the calling the five Roxas members

8:15to discuss this. Yeah, I suppose that's the direct link I suppose between them and any scare and the point you're looking to get across in terms of putting it to wish, and through the Roxas members at the October meeting. Absolutely, because, you know, I mean, they've got a lot of proposed developments in the sort of business. In particular, there's one there in the lynch, the old lynch, the lady, they've got planning and so forth. But just awaiting, you know, to see what happens with the clear, I'd be straight in plant, you know, and there's others as well, like just reports of elephants in their castle and so forth. So there've been deprived because, you know, there's, it needs a series of create, the straight in plant and, you know, the sort of a very serious matter. And Councillor Mary Howard raised the issue of the banner plaza and they, way that they removed the waste water from that plant there. And I suppose with the max capacity being reached at a situation such as now, it's really

9:20preventing further investment in innocent and its environments. Well, you know, Mr. Wettwinder, as far as he has got fully planning from Claire County Council from Barton, and he wanted to audition review. And yes, he's been silent because the object to put in the seat, he's, you know, there's, he's actually going to court where the brush, Irish water, the stoptimes water from supplying water and source, Thomas to make sure, I think this is a, this race with situation because, you know, the building is built and, you know, he's bringing down water from car to every day. And, you know, the service has been removed every day. It's a great success story though under Bush. The way he's been treated is, is totally, totally out of water. And you touched on it there just to finish it, that it's all, I kind of sort of interlinked and you bring it back to the South End as flood relief scheme.

10:22And in terms of if there is no wastewater, you can, it doesn't matter whether you have these flood relief schemes or not because the developments for housing can't go ahead. Well, he had the waste water and, and, and, and the service once he got the planning from Bortrenala and the judicial review we had, there was, there was space there for him in the, in the treatment plant, Bush, when the brush, Irish water to, to court to stop him from, to stop him from supplying him, that's kind of cornered him. So, that's the reason he's doing that, bringing in water and so on. Thank you.