€500,000 for Clare flood defence works

Almost €500,000 has been granted to Clare County Council to undertake flood defence works throughout the county.
Four separate projects have been granted combined funding and they include the installation of an overflow flood culvert at the Gort Road Industrial Park in Ennis (€300,000), flood mitigation works at Ranaghan on the Corofin to Tubber Road (€90,000), a culvert upgrade in Clonbony (€36,000) and flood mitigation works in Ruan (€90,000).
A sum of €45,000 has also been set aside for coastal erosion works at Lahinch and Miltown Malbay.
News of the funding has been welcomed by Minister Tony Killeen, who said the allocations represent the first phase of funding to be announced by the Minister of State at the Office of Public Works, Dr Martin Mansergh in 2010.
The works that are scheduled to take place, he said, will significantly reduce the risk of flooding to properties and land in the areas concerned.
“Climate change is likely to produce higher rainfall in winter and therefore to increase the risk of flooding along rivers. This increased frequency of intense rainfall events is likely to increase the numbers of floods, as we saw in County Clare late last year, and higher rainfall over winter will also mean increases in the extent of flooding from rising groundwater. The commencement of flood mitigation and flood culvert upgrade works, therefore, takes on added significance,” added Minister Killeen.