Madam, – Minister for Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív’s statement that “most people know their community welfare officers” demonstrates just how removed from reality this Government is. The majority of people devastated by the current flooding have either bought or built their own homes and businesses.
They have most likely never received a handout in their lives. I suspect most of them would starve rather than join the regulars, in the queues at the community welfare offices. If members of this Government had a scintilla of shame, they would resign immediately. We have gone from a country which was being told two years ago that we were one of the wealthiest in the world, to one where people are being directed to community welfare offices. The sooner this Government goes into the oblivion proposed for Mr Ó Cuív’s department the better. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – We have all seen the devastation caused by flooding in the past week. Places that have never experienced flooding were totally submerged, such were the volumes of water that fell.
The site in Ringaskiddy, Co Cork, where Indaver Ireland has applied to build two incinerators is again seriously flooded.
Flooding at the site leaves the proposed hazardous waste storage area completely submerged. The World Health Organisation warns that hazardous incinerators should not be built on flood plains; Indaver’s site clearly fails this criterion. In addition to repeated flooding episodes, successive reports by the Office of Public Works and the Environmental Protection Agency have pinpointed the Ringaskiddy coastal area as vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and flooding.
At the recent planning oral hearing, hydrologist Shane Bennett and climatologist Prof John Sweeney left the hearing in no doubt of the site’s unsuitability.
Flooding in the proposed storage area could cause a major accident which would see the contamination of the harbour by toxic waste. Engineering solutions proposed will only worsen soakage in the surrounding areas, increasing risk to students in the Maritime College, and potentially cutting off access to the college and Haulbowline.
Events of the past week can leave us in no doubt that planning decisions must take into account the objective evidence and advice available from the experts.
The flooding has brought into sharp focus the need for brave planning decisions that are in the interest of the communities and society – not just private developers. We can’t afford any more mistakes. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – May I suggest the Government, in a meaningful gesture, add the savings accruing from the recent public sector strike to the meagre funds already allocated to help those unfortunate enough to be afflicted by the effects of the recent dreadful unprecedented flooding. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – While it will be of no consolation to those who have experienced the recent flooding, the reason why this year’s event is worse than usual may lie in the past three wet summers.
The recent wet summers have prevented the water table falling to its usual low level. Instead, the low point in the summer water table has risen steadily over the past three years with the result that there was less storage in the groundwater system to absorb this year’s November heavy rains. The higher summer water table will also have resulted in higher river levels at the end of the summer period.
Predicting the severity of future flooding events will not be a simple matter of the amount or intensity of a particular rainfall event, but of equal importance will be an awareness of historical water table fluctuations and the capacity of the underground and rivers to absorb some of downpour. – Yours, etc,