Madam, – Brian Cowen is doomed if he does and doomed if he doesn’t. If he did not visit the flooded areas throughout the country, many would be whingeing and moaning that he lacks compassion and interest. So he visits the flooded areas and shows great compassion and speaks to all in sundry, and the public, including your correspondent Niall Higgins, (November 27th) are whingeing and moaning. He cannot win! – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The enormous flood damage being done to Carrick-on-Shannon is a classic example of the past 10 years of indiscriminate and revenue-earning planning permissions for the relevant authorities and a bonanza for the local Donald Trumps. These apartment blocks, housing developments, hotels, shopping and amenity centres, and other tax holidays were allowed to be built on or near natural flood plains.
Carrick is a riverside town well used to periodic flood surges from the mighty River Shannon and used to building and managing accordingly in previous generations. This time exceptional surges of river water had nowhere to go except the wonderful and historic old town itself! – Yours, etc,
Madam, - With free passage, water runs downhill, and will do so again as before. I have been in, on and above many of the great rivers of the world, indeed in floods in the Ganges. These happen frequently and some worse than others, but always expected. We have mountains and excellent rivers and all drain into the sea (permitted of course unless man or spring tides dictate otherwise). Clear passage is essential.
Our rivers and canals, if maintained, should of course cope with our “temperate climate” and from what I see suffer from lack of real care. This of course would prevent much flooding, give employment and thereby save the expensive work of rebuilding, re-housing and rescue. What on earth was the “Tiger money” spent on? Development or should it have been conservation?
This will happen again and again unless we look after our heritage and not our bank accounts. - Yours, etc,