FARMERS in the Mulcair/Dead River area have given up hope of any assistance from the county council, and can only hope that the rain will stop for long enough for the land to dry up naturally.
This is according to the secretary of the Mulcair Flood Relief Project, David Thompson, who has been asking the council to repair broken river banks for some time.
Farmers in the area have returned their cattle to their winter shelters as land is flooded due to the burst banks.
“One councillor told me that he had made enquiries and was told the council have the money for the work to mend the river banks, clean the main drains and clear the bushes but they claim that work cannot be done as meadows would be destroyed and there are healthy and safety problems,” Mr. Thompson told the Post.
“This does not make sense as the biggest burst in the Dead River bank happened 18 months ago, and the most recent in early May.
“The main drains should have been maintained before the growth in May, a time when there were no meadows and the land was dry with no apparent health and safety issues, and nothing was done,” Mr. Thompson alleges.
He added that Deputy Patrick O’Donovan and the IFA have both urged the minister to address the situation.
“We are delighted to hear that the money is available but immediate action is needed.
“There is no excuse for leaving the hole in the Dead River bank for 18 months; we need urgent action as the grass is rotting.
“Will the farmers plight continue to be ignored or do we have to wait for another fish kill?”
