by Alan Jacques
CITY North councillor Maurice Quinlivan has condemned the continuing absence of any proper government response to an application by Limerick City and County Council for funding for flood defences.
The Sinn Féin politician pointed out that an application was made in February 2014 by Limerick City Council for funding to develop, maintain and construct flood defences in the Kings Island area, but to date the Government has not yet allocated any monies to the project. The application from the local authority was for at least €9 million in funds, he revealed, based on the level of work needed in the areas to ensure that flooding on this level would not reoccur.
According to Cllr Quinlivan, there is now real concerns among residents of Kings Island that the riverbank may collapse again.
“We are a year on now and residents in King’s Island and surrounding areas, many of them elderly, are living in dreaded fear of a repeat of the flooding that took place 12 months ago. The advent of high tides at this time of year really does increase the risk of such an occurrence, but the government have turned a deaf ear to their concerns,” said Cllr Quinlivan.
“Finance Minister Michael Noonan and OPW Minister Simon Harris made a fleeting and unannounced visit to announce the setting up a committee but no funding for the flood defences in King’s Island has been delivered,” he added.
Cllr Quinlivan said he finds it “hard to credit” that Limerick has two senior Ministers in Cabinet, and claims that neither of them seem bothered to lobby for this funding for their own city.
“But of course we’re talking about a working class area of Limerick, so Michael Noonan wouldn’t be interested. The Government was quick to make promises in the immediate aftermath of the flooding, while RTE cameras were rolling. Residents were promised that they would get the assistance needed, but a year on nothing has been done.”
Quinlivan insists there is no sense of urgency from Government on this issue and the stress that lack of proper flood defence causes.
“This government has had no problem finding funding to bail out bankers, but the urgent needs of our city’s citizens are an altogether different matter. To date no money has been allocated. I am once again calling on Ministers Noonan and O’Sullivan to address this issue without any further delay,” he concluded.
